THE  QUEEN'S 
ADVOCATE 


ARTHUR  W.  M^RCHMONT 


THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 


'OVER   AND    OVER    WE   ROLLED    IN    THE   DUSTY   ROAD. 


Page  a 


Che    QuccrTe 
Hdvocatc 


By  ARTHUR    W.   MARCHMONT 


Author  of  "When  I  Was  Czar,"  "For  Love  or  Crown," 

"A  Courier  of  Fortune,"  "In  The  Name  of  a 

Woman,"  "Sarita  the  Carlist,"  etc.,  etc. 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY  Publishers 
/*  ft  *  <*   NEW  YORK   -*  *  *  * 


COPYRIGHT,  1904,  BY 
ARTHUR  W.  MARCHMONT 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PACK 

I.  THE  RESCUE         .. 9 

II.  KARASCH 25 

III.  MORE  WITCHCRAFT 39 

IV.  A  CONTEST  IN  WILL  POWER        .....  53 
V.  UNWELCOME  VISITORS  .......  67 

VI.  A  FIGHT  FOR  THE  HORSES  ......    82 

VII.  ESCAPE 94 

VIII.  WHAT  HAPPENED  IN  THE  NIGHT        .       .       .       .107 

IX.  FROM  BAD  TO  WORSE 121 

X.  AT  POABJA 137 

XI.  To  SAMAC .        .        .150 

XII.  ON  THE  HILL  AT  SAMAC 162 

XIII.  PREPARING  FOR  THE  CAMPAIGN   .        .       .       .       .176 

XIV.  ELMA 190 

XV.  DEVELOPMENTS 204 

XVI.  THE  ARMY'S  PLANS 217 

XVII.  THE  QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE      ......  232 

XVIII.  A  DECLARATION  OF  WAR     ......  246 

XIX.  PRINCE  ALBREVICS 263 

XX.  THE  INSULT 278 

XXI.  THE  DUEL 291 

XXII.  THE  SCENT  OF  PERIL 304 

XXIII.  A  PLAN  OF  DEFENCE 317 

XXIV.  THE  NIGHT  OF  TERROR       ......  330 

XXV.  IN  GATRINA'S  HOUSE 343 

XXVI.  CHRIS  TO  THE  RESCUE         ......  356 

XXVII.  MY  DEFENCE 369 

XXVIII.  "I  CANNOT  LEAVE  MY  COUNTRY"    ....  383 

XXIX.  PETROSCH  HAS  A  PLAN 396 

XXX.  THE  CAMP  AGAIN 409 


2137228 


The  Queen's  Advocate 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   RESCUE. 

Crack ! 

It  was  a  rifle  shot,  sure  enough,  somewhere  in  the 
hills,  and  Chris  raised  his  huge  head  with  a  low  growl 
and  thrust  his  nose  against  me  in  warning. 

I  was  lying  on  the  flat  of  my  back,  my  hands 
clasped  under  my  head,  thinking  lazily,  as  I  watched 
the  glorious  sunset  amid  the  Gravenje  hills — where 
the  play  of  sunset  colour  is  at  times  almost  as  fine 
as  in  Colorado — and  speculated  when  the  storm 
which  was  brewing  would  break. 

I  had  just  been  chuckling  at  the  idea  of  what  the 
men  in  Wall  Street  or  the  dandies  of  Fifth  Avenue 
would  have  thought  of  Chase  F.  Bergwyn,  million- 
aire, mine-owner,  and  financier,  could  they  have  seen 
me  then  vagabondising  in  the  Bosnian  hills.  My 
dress  was  a  kind  of  nondescript  native  costume,  half 
peasant's,  half  miner's,  very  dirty  and  worn  with  my 
rough  prospecting  work;  and  I  carried  a  ten  days' 
growth  of  scrubby  beard  on  my  sun-tanned  face. 
The  report  of  the  rifle  stopped  the  chuckle  on  my 
lips. 

One  of  my  men  must  have  been  after  some  hill 


io  THE   QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

game,  I  guessed,  and  in  the  eagerness  of  the  chase 
had  disobeyed  my  strict  orders  against  shooting.  I 
was  anxious  not  to  draw  any  unnecessary  attention 
to  my  doings.  I  was  after  another  pile,  in  fact. 
When  in  Vienna,  just  before,  I  had  been  offered  what 
appeared  to  be  a  good  thing  in  the  shape  of  a  con- 
cession to  work  a  rich  mining  district  in  these  Bos- 
nian hills,  and,  as  I  still  had  a  touch  of  the  vagabond 
in  me,  I  was  roughing  it  in  order  that  I  might  look 
into  the  thing  for  myself. 

I  knew  that  part  of  Eastern  Europe  pretty  well. 
I  had  lived  there  as  a  lad  with  a  relative  stationed  in 
Prague,  and  as  I  had  the  knack  of  picking  up  the 
Balkan  languages,  he  had  found  me  of  such  use  that 
he  had  taken  me  with  him  on  many  an  expedition 
among  the  hills  in  Bosnia,  Servia,  and  Herzgovina. 

I  had  delighted  in  the  'hills,  and  had  carried  my 
love  for  them  across  the  Atlantic  when  things 
changed  and  I  went  to  the  States  in  search  of  fortune. 
After  a  time  of  pretty  hard  rough-and-tumble  hurly- 
burly  buffetting  I  had  "  struck  it  rich,"  and  turned 
up  in  New  York  wealthy  enough  to  play  a  strong 
hand  in  the  big  gambles  of  Wall  Street. 

Then  the  wandering  fever  laid  hold  of  me  again, 
and,  remembering  my  days  in  the  Balkans,  I  was 
seized  with  the  idea  of  utilising  the  old  experiences 
for  business  purposes.  There  was  money  to  be  made, 
I  believed;  and  I  opened  up  communications  with 
folks  in  Belgrade  and  Sofia,  and  was  in  Vienna,  on 
my  way  to  the  Servian  capital,  when  this  Bosnian 
mining  affair  turned  up. 

The  pile  was  there  right  enough,  just  waiting  for 


THE   RESCUE  n 

someone  to  come  along  and  harvest  it.  But  whether 
the  difficulties  of  harvesting  it  could  be  overcome,  I 
should  have  to  settle  elsewhere;  and  until  they  were 
settled  I  didn't  wish  to  draw  the  inquisitive  eyes  of 
any  blockheads  of  Austrian  officials  upon  me. 

There  were  other  dangers,  too.  Lalwor,  a  hill 
village,  was  not  far  off,  and  the  reports  about  the  vil- 
lagers were  not  pleasing.  They  were  not  likely  to 
jump  one's  claim,  or  do  anything  of  that  sort,  but 
were  said  to  be  quite  ready  to  knock  me  on  the  head 
if  they  had  an  inkling  that  I  was  a  rich  foreigner. 
That  at  least  was  the  opinion  of  the  man  who  had 
acted  as  my  guide;  and  probably  he  knew. 

So  that,  altogether,  that  shot  annoyed  me;  and  I 
sat  up,  thinking  no  more  about  either  New  York  or 
the  sunset,  but  just  how  to  find  out  who  had  fired  it, 
and  bent  upon  punishing  him  for  disobedience.  Not 
so  easy  this  last  as  it  would  have  been,  had  I  disliked 
all  the  four  men  composing  my  party  less  and  trusted 
them  more. 

Crack ! 

Another  shot.     This  time  nearer. 

Chris  showed  greater  uneasiness  than  before,  and 
getting  up  ran  forward  sniffing  the  air.  Almost  im- 
mediately afterwards  I  heard  a  faint  throbbing  sound 
on  the  earth,  uncommonly  like  a  horse's  gallop.  But 
who  could  be  galloping  our  way?  No  one  who  was 
at  all  likely  to  be  welcome;  that  was  certain.  I 
scented  trouble,  and  calling  the  dog  back  crouched 
with  him  be'hind  a  bush-covered  hillock  and  gazed, 
not  without  some  anxiety,  up  and  down  the  steep, 
rough  mountain  road. 


12  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

The  camp — which  consisted  of  a  cottage  or  hut  for 
my  use,  a  shed  for  the  horses,  and  a  tent  for  the  men 
— lay  two  or  three  hundred  yards  along  a  gully,  which 
branched  off  at  right  angles  from  this  road.  I 
was  lying  at  the  mouth  of  the  gully,  and  from  my 
position  commanded  a  view  from  the  top  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  hill,  about  a  mile  in  length. 

Crack!  crack! 

Two  more  shots  in  quick  succession;  the  throb- 
bing sound  of  the  'hoofs  came  nearer  and  nearer;  and 
a  horse  and  rider  showed  at  the  top  of  the  hill.  I 
caught  my  breath  in  surprise  as  I  saw  the  rider  was 
a  woman,  who  was  urging  her  horse,  a  wiry  little 
white  animal,  to  its  utmost  efforts  as  it  dashed  at 
break-neck  speed  down  the  steep,  winding,  boulder- 
strewn,  dangerous  road. 

Next,  two  horsemen  came  into  sight  and,  with  a 
loud  shout,  one  of  them  reined  up,  and  taking  delib- 
erate aim  fired  at  the  fugitive  woman.  My  eye  was 
on  her  as  the  shot  rang  out,  and  I  saw  the  little  white 
beast  start,  and  swerve  as  if  hit.  The  next  instant 
the  blood  began  to  run  freely  over  the  flank,  and  the 
horse's  gait  told  me  it  was  badly  wounded. 

The  men  behind  saw  it,  too;  and  the  brute  who  had 
fired  the  shot  shouted  to  his  companion,  and  then 
continued  the  pursuit. 

The  chase  was  all  but  over.  The  white  horse 
struggled  on  gamely,  but  as  it  neared  the  gully  where 
I  lay  the  pace  slackened  ominously.  Its  rider  looked 
back  at  her  pursuers,  and  then  across  the  ravine;  and 
then,  to  my  further  amazement,  I  saw  that  she  was 
no  more  than  a  girl  in  years — and  a  very  pretty  one, 


THE   RESCUE  13 

too;  her  face  flushed  with  the  excitement  of  the  mad 
gallop,  her  eyes  wide  with  alarm,  and  her  features  set 
with  the  courage  of  desperate  resolve. 

Her  pursuers  realised  her  plight;  and  being  now 
sure  of  capturing  her,  slung  their  guns  and  rode  down 
the  ugly  path  very  cautiously. 

I  made  ready  to  take  my  share  in  the  business.  I 
had  my  revolver  in  my  hip  pocket,  and  drew  it  out, 
but  did  not  show  myself.  My  intention  was  to  let 
her  pass  and  then  get  between  her  and  the  men.  But 
her  horse  was  done.  The  bullet  had  evidently  found 
the  artery,  for  the  blood  was  spurting  out  fast;  and 
just  before  she  reached  the  spot  where  I  crouched 
the  poor  beast  lurched  badly  and  half  sank  on  its 
quarters.  The  rider  had  only  time  to  jump  cleverly 
and  quickly  from  the  saddle  when  the  end  came,  and 
the  gallant  little  horse  rolled  over. 

She  must  have  given  up  all  for  lost  then;  but  she 
showed  no  sign  of  faltering  courage.  One  swift, 
desperate  glance  round  she  gave,  as  if  in  search 
of  some  chance  of  escape,  and  I  saw  her  face 
was  pale  and  set,  'but  full  of  determination.  Then, 
drawing  a  dainty  little  stiletto  from  her  dress,  she 
stood  at  bay  behind  the  body  of  the  dying  horse  with 
a  calmness  all  eloquent  of  pluck  and  nerve. 

Meanwhile,  with  Chris  at  my  heel,  and  keeping  as 
much  as  possible  under  cover,  I  crept  forward  until 
I  was  opposite  to  her.  The  men  dismounted  when 
they  were  still  some  fifty  yards  or  so  above  her,  and 
they  were  rushing  forward  to  close  upon  her  when  I 
showed  myself,  with  Chris  growling  ominously  at  my 
3ide. 


14  THE   QUEEN'S  'ADVOCATE 

The  surprise  caused  by  my  unexpected  appearance 
gave  me  a  moment's  advantage. 

"  Have  no  fear.  The  dog  will  guard  you,"  J  called 
to  her  as  I  passed.  "  Guard,  Chris,  guard,  good 
dog,"  I  told  him;  and  instantly  understanding  me, 
he  ran  to  her  side. 

"  Thank  God,"  I  heard  her  murmur  as  I  sprang 
toward  the  men,  with  my  revolver  levelled  at  them. 

"  You  may  give  it  up,"  I  cried;  but  that  was  not 
their  view.  One  of  them  swung  his  gun  round  on 
the  instant,  and  was  in  the  act  of  levelling  it  at  me 
when  I  fired,  aiming  low,  and  shot  him  in  the  leg, 
bringing  him  to  the  ground. 

His  companion  hesitated  at  'this,  then  clubbed  his 
gun  and  appeared  to  be  about  to  attack  me,  when  he 
suddenly  changed  his  mind  and  made  a  dart  for  the 
horses.  I  dashed  after  him,  and  as  he  vaulted  into 
the  saddle  I  fired  at  his  horse  and  wounded  it.  Utter- 
ing a  cry  of  rage,  he  leapt  with  extraordinary  agility 
to  the  unwounded  horse,  and  might  then  have  got 
off  had  not  the  reins  of  both  animals  become  en- 
tangled. Before  he  could  disengage  them  I  had 
closed  up  to  him. 

I  called  to  him  to  surrender,  but  he  had  plenty  of 
fight  in  him,  and,  taking  me  no  doubt  for  the  peasant 
I  looked,  he  first  struck  at  me  furiously  with  his  gun, 
and  then  tried  to  ride  me  down. 

I  checked  that  effort  with  a  bullet  in  his  horse's 
head,  however,  and  threatened  to  put  one  into  the 
man  himself  if  he  did  not  submit.  But  still  he  would 
not. 

Leaping  free  of  the  falling  horse  he  surprised  me 


THE   RESCUE  15 

by  running  back  down  the  hill  helter-skelter  towards 
the  girl,  who  stood  watching  us  with  breathless  inter- 
est. I  thought  he  meant  to  attack  her,  and,  wild 
with  sudden  anger,  I  rushed  after  him.  He  had  ap- 
parently remembered,  however,  that  his  comrade's 
gun  was  loaded  and  his  object  was  to  secure  it. 

But  Chris  stopped  this.  The  weapon  lay  near  the 
girl  and  Chris  sprang  forward  and  snarled  so  savagely 
looking  so  formidable  and  dangerous,  that  the  man 
hesitated,  and  before  his  hesitation  was  over  I  caught 
up  and  closed  with  him.  Over  and  over  we  rolled  in 
the  dusty  road  in  a  fierce,  hand-to-hand  tussle,  writh- 
ing, kicking,  and  sprawling  as  we  gripped  each  other 
in  that  desperate  wrestle.  But  I  had  the  advantage 
of  method.  I  was  Cumberland  bred,  and  in  my  boy- 
hood had  learnt  some  tricks  and  falls  which  had  stood 
me  in  good  stead  before  now  in  many  a  "  scrap  "  in 
my  rough-and-tumble  mining  days  in  Colorado  and 
Montana. 

I  got  my  grip  of  him  presently,  and  bit  by  bit 
moved  my  hands  up  till  my  fingers  were  playing  on 
his  windpipe,  and  he  was  seeing  stars  as  I  dashed  his 
thick  head  again  and  again  on  the  hard  road,  until 
all  the  fight  and  all  his  senses  too  were  knocked  out 
of  him. 

Then  I  rose,  and  taking  the  reins  from  the  girl's 
horse,  I  tied  him  up  securely  with  them. 

All  this  time  I  had  not  spoken  to  her,  except  that 
first  sentence;  but  I  had  caught  her  great  grey  eyes 
fixed  upon  me  questioningly  as  she  followed  every 
action.  Before  going  to  her  I  had  a  look  at  the  man 
I  had  shot,  and  found  his  leg  was  broken  between  the 


16  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

knee  and  the  ankle.  I  had  some  rough  knowledge 
of  surgery — one  picks  up  such  things  knocking  about 
the  world  as  I  had — so  I  probed  about  with  my  knife 
and  found  the  bullet,  which  was  in  the  muscular  calf, 
cleansed  the  wound  as  best  I  could,  and  set  the  bone. 
Then  I  placed  him  in  as  comfortable  a  position  as  I 
could,  and  told  him  not  to  move  until  I  could  do 
more. 

This  done,  I  rose  and  went  to  the  girl.  She  was 
now  leaning  against  a  boulder  by  the  wayside,  deathly 
pale,  and  to  my  infinite  concern  I  saw  that  her  dress 
was  all  blood-stained.  One  of  the  coward's  bullets 
must  have  hit  her,  I  thought. 

"Are  you  hit?"  I  asked.  I  spoke  in  Serb,  as  I 
was  more  familiar  with  that  than  any  other  of  the 
Balkan  languages. 

"  No.     It  is  the  blood  from  this  poor  beast." 

"  Thank  God  for  that.  You're  very  pale,  but  you 
won't  have  any  more  trouble  from  the  men.  I'll  see 
to  that." 

Instead  of  replying  she  appeared  in  some  way  to 
resent  my  tone  of  reassurance,  and  looked  at  me 
steadily  with  this  curious  expression  of  resentment 
mingled  with  gratitude  and  some  fear.  But  she  had 
made  friends  with  Chris,  and  the  great  fellow  was 
pushing  his  head  against  her  as  she  stroked  him. 

"  You  were  very  brave,"  I  said  after  a  pause,  dur- 
ing which  I  could  not  keep  my  eyes  off  her.  She 
was  indeed  a  beautiful  girl,  with  a  figure  of  queenly 
grace,  and  I  daresay  some  of  the  intense  admiration 
I  felt  may  have  shown  in  my  glance.  I  had  never 
seen  so  lovely  a  face. 


THE   RESCUE  17 

"  If  that  man  is  much  hurt  you  had  better  see  to 
him,"  she  said,  with  a  distinct  note  of  command  in 
her  voice. 

"  His  leg's  broken.  I'm  going  to  improvise  a 
splint,  and  then  get  help." 

"  Help  ?  "  Quick  suspicion  prompted  the  ques- 
tion. "  Do  you  live  about  here  ?  " 

I  shut  down  a  smile.  She  took  me  for  a  peasant; 
and  well  she  might,  I  thought,  as  I  glanced  down  at 
my  clothes,  dust-stained,  torn,  and  dishevelled. 

"  There  is  a  cottage  close  here  and  a  tent,"  I 
answered,  evading  her  question  and  her  glance. 
There  was  clearly  a  mystery  about  her  to  be  solved. 
It  was  as  evident  as  that  she  herself  was  well-born, 
and  accustomed  to  give  orders  for  which  she  expected 
prompt  obedience.  But  leaving  all  explanations 
over  for  the  time,  I  set  about  making  the  splint. 

Returning  to  the  men's  horses  I  took  off  the  bridle 
and  saddle  of  the  dead  one,  cut  away  the  saddle  flaps, 
and  carried  them  and  the  reins  to  the  injured  man. 
The  flaps  made  good  splints,  and  I  bound  them 
tightly  with  the  reins  round  his  leg.  He  had  borne 
all  my  crude  surgery  work  with  suc'h  stoicism  that  I 
guessed  he  was  a  Turk,  and  spoke  to  him  in  the  little 
Turkish  I  knew,  telling  him  I  would  get  help  and 
have  him  removed  directly.  He  grunted  something 
about  being  all  right,  and  soon  was  smoking  as 
placidly  as  thougfi  nothing  had  happened,  and  a 
broken  leg  was  one  of  the  usual  events  of  daily  life. 

I  returned  then  to  the  girl,  who  was  sitting  on  the 
ground  with  her  hands  clasped  over  her  face.  I 


"i8  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

guessed  she  was  as  desperately  puzzled  as  I  was  what 
to  do  next. 

She  sprang  up  quickly  as  I  approached,  and  again 
stared  at  me  with  much  the  same  expression  of 
anxiety  and  doubt. 

"  You  seem  very  clever  and  resourceful,"  she  said. 
"  Can  yet  get  me  a  horse  ?  " 

"What  for?  To  lose  yourself  in  the  darkness 
among  the  hills?  " 

"  I  can  pay  you — later,  I  mean.  I  nave  no  money 
on  me.  Tell  me  how  to  send  it  to  you,  and  I  will 
give  you  any  price  you  name.  And  I  will  add  to  it  a 
generous  reward  for  what  you  have  done  already." 

"  Do  you  think  you  are  strong  enough  to  travel 
yet?  You  are  still  very  white,  and  trembling  like  a 
leaf.  You  are  scarcely  used  to  this  sort  of  thing,  you 
see." 

"  I  can  judge  that  for  myself,"  she  answered,  al- 
most haughtily,  making  a  great  effort  to  rally  her 
shaken  nerves. 

"  I  don't  think  you  are.  You  don't  realise  yet 
how  much  this  thing  has  shaken  you." 

"  I  am  not  accustomed  to  be  contradicted  in  this 
way." 

"  You  are  very  near  contradicting  yourself  by 
fainting,"  I  answered.  I  could  see  it  plainly.  "  How 
long  have  you  been  without  food  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  wish  you  to  question  me.  Can  you  get 
me  a  horse,  or  must  I  try  to  walk  ?  I  must  have  a 
horse." 

"  There's  another  reason.  If  you  know  anything 
of  these  hills  you'll  know  what  a  storm  means  among 


THE   RESCUE  19 

them;  and  there's  one  brewing  now.  Listen."  As 
I  spoke  we  'heard  the  rumbling  of  distant  thunder 
among  the  hills. 

"  I  cannot  stay  here,  in  any  case,"  she  shot  back 
quickly.  Then,  after  a  pause,  "  Who  are  you?  Your 
name,  I  mean?  "  This  in  her  sharp  imperious  man- 
ner. 

"  My  name  is  Bergwyn."  I  slurred  the  pronunci- 
ation intentionally.  I  had  strong  reasons  for  not 
wishing  anyone  to  know  I  had  been  on  the  hills  on 
my  mission. 

But  the  effect  of  the  name  upon  her  was  remark- 
able ;  and  her  agitation  was  too  great  to  be  concealed 
even  by  the  effort  she  made.  She  appeared  com- 
pletely unnerved;  and  while  her  eyes  opened  wide  in 
unmistakable  fear,  she  shrank  from  me  as  though  I 
were  a  pestilence  incarnate. 

"  Bourgwan — the — the  brigand  ?  I  have  heard 
of  you."  The  words  were  just  a  whisper,  uttered 
with  a  catch  of  the  breath  all  eloquent  of  terror. 

"  No,  I'm  not "  I  began  with  a  smile  intended 

to  reassure  her ;  but  before  I  could  finish  the  sentence 
her  own  unfortunate  guess  had  completed  her  un- 
doing, and  with  a  little  gasping  sob  down  she  went 
in  a  heap  to  the  ground  unconscious,  to  my  utter 
consternation. 

Disconcerting  as  her  collapse  was,  it  nevertheless 
had  the  result  of  deciding  me  what  to  do.  Another 
clap  of  thunder  came  at  the  moment;  and,  without 
waiting  to  think  any  longer,  I  picked  her  up  and  set 
off  as  quickly  as  I  could  along  the  ravine  to  the  camp. 

She   had   not   recovered    consciousness   when    I 


20  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

reached  the  cottage;  and  as  there  was  but  one  room 
in  it,  I  laid  her  on  the  bed,  bundled  my  few  things 
together,  tossed  them  out  of  sight,  and  leaving  the 
dog  with  her,  I  went  over  to  the  tent. 

I  found  my  four  men  asleep  there,  and  waking 
them  with  an  impartial  kick  or  two,  sent  them  down 
to  bring  up  the  prisoner  and  his  wounded  companion. 

Then  I  began  to  realise  what  a  really  awkward 
matter  it  was  likely  to  be  to  have  a  girl,  and  such 
a  girl,  quartered  upon  us.  I  was  not  by  any  means 
sure  of  my  own  men,  even.  They  had  been  chosen 
by  the  guide;  but  even  he  had  deemed  them  so  worth- 
less and  unreliable  that  he  had  gone  off  that  morning 
in  search  of  others.  Without  him  my  position  was 
very  grave.  He  was  already  a  couple  of  hours  over- 
due; and  with  this  storm  coming  up  it  was  long  odds 
that  he  would  not  arrive  until  the  next  morning  at  the 
earliest. 

Still  the  thing  had  to  be  faced.  I  must  take  my 
chance  in  the  tent  with  the  men  that  night,  and  trust 
to  my  own  authority  and  vigilance  and  wits. 

I  went  back  to  the  cottage,  and  was  alarmed  to  find 
the  girl  still  unconscious ;  so  I  got  some  brandy,  and 
supporting  her  head  managed  to  get  a  few  drops 
between  her  lips.  This  soon  had  an  effect,  and  after 
a  repetition  of  the  remedy  she  opened  her  eyes  with 
a  deep,  long-drawn  sigh,  and  gave  a  great  start  as 
she  found  me  bending  over  her  and  herself  on  the 
bed  in  the  hut. 

"  It's  all  right,"  I  said,  soothingly.  "  You  fainted, 
probably  from  exhaustion  and  the  fright  you  had. 
and  I  brought  you  here.  It  was  the  only  thing  I 


THE   RESCUE  21 

could  do.  You  are  perfectly  safe,  and  the  best  thing 
you  can  do  is  to  be  quiet  until  you  can  eat  something. 
As  soon  as  you're  well  enough  I'll  find  you  a  horse 
and  send  you  wherever  you  want  to  go." 

She  listened  very  quietly,  and  smiled.  A  rare 
thing,  that  smile  of  hers. 

"  I  want  you  to  feel  you  can  trust  me.  I  am  not 
that  brigand,  Bourgwan,  or  any  other  brigand,  as 
it  happens;  although  my  name  is  sufficiently  like  his 
to  cause  you  to  make  the  mistake  you  did  about  it. 
It's  all  very  rough  here;  but  it's  the  best  we  can  do 
for  you.  Now,  do  you  think  you  can  feel  safe  enough 
to  eat  and  drink  something  without  believing  we 
mean  to  poison  you?  " 

"  Don't."  It  was  only  a  whisper,  but  it  was  good 
hearing. 

"  I've  had  to  give  you  a  little  brandy.  Here's 
some  more,  if  you'll  like  it ;  and  I  can  get  you  some 
preserved  milk  and  biscuits  presently.  Shall  I  leave 
you  alone  here?  " 

The  light  had  gone  as  the  storm  gathered ;  and  just 
as  I  spoke  the  storm  burst  right  overhead  with  a 
flare  of  lightning  that  filled  the  small  room  with  lurid 
light,  followed  by  a  deafening  clap  of  thunder  which 
seemed  almost  to  shake  the  eart!h  until  the  hut 
trembled. 

But  she  showed  no  fear  of  the  storm;  so  that  I 
gathered  slie  was  used  to  the  violence  with  which 
they  raged  in  that  district.  She  sat  staring  out  of 
the  one  narrow  window  wistfully  and  disconsolately. 

"  I  cannot  go  ?  "  she  said,  making  it  almost  a  ques- 
tion. 


22  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

I  threw  the  door  wider  open,  and  pointed  to  the 
rain  that  was  coming  down  in  sheets — just  like  a 
tropical  downpour. 

"  Quite  impossible — you  can  see." 

She  rose  and  looked  out,  shuddered,  and  then 
went  back  to  the  bed  with  a  sigh  of  disappointment. 
Some  moments  passed  then.  The  storm  raged  furi- 
ously :  the  lightning  flaring  and  flashing  with  intense 
brilliance,  filling  the  sordid  little  dingy  room  almost 
continuously  with  its  vivid  blue  light;  the  thunder 
pealing  and  crashing  and  roaring  as  though  the  very 
heavens  would  split;  and  the  rain  sweeping  and  swirl- 
ing down  like  a  flood. 

And  within  there  was  silence  between  us:  she  sit- 
ting dead  still  on  the  low  pallet,  the  dog  haunched 
by  her  side;  and  I  standing,  very  ill  at  ease,  near  the 
door,  not  knowing  what  to  say  or  do  next,  and  feel- 
ing very  much  of  an  awkward  fool.  I  wanted  to 
know  that  she  trusted  me,  and  would  have  given  any- 
thing for  a  word  from  her  to  show  she  did;  while  at 
the  same  time  I  felt  I  would  have  bitten  my  tongue 
out  rather  than  have  asked  for  such  a  word. 

Yet  out  it  came,  nevertheless. 

"  You  feel  better  and — and  safe  ?  "  I  asked. 

The  lightning  showed  me  that  she  moved  slightly, 
turned  her  head  and  glanced  toward  me  just  for  an 
instant,  but  said  nothing. 

"  I'll  get  you  something  to  eat,"  I  murmured  fatu- 
ously, and  went  out  and  pelted  through  the  rain  to 
the  tent. 

I  had  got  some  biscuits  and  a  tin  of  milk,  when  a 
thought  occurred  to  me.  The  men  had  not  re- 


THE   RESCUE  23 

turned,  and  their  guns  piled  in  a  corner  of  the  tent 
caught  my  eye  as  I  was  leaving.  I  made  a  bundle 
of  them  and  carried  them  away.  I  could  trust  my 
men  just  as  well  if  they  had  no  firearms. 

When  I  got  back  to  the  hut  she  was  sitting  on  the 
side  of  the  bed  and  had  quite  shaken  off  the  faintness. 

"  You  need  not  have  gone  through  the  rain — but 
I  suppose  you  are  used  to  it  ?  "  she  said. 

"  A  man  in  my  position  has  to  get  used  to  any- 
thing. Here  are  the  biscuits  and  the  milk.  I've 
some  tinned  meat  in  the  cupboard  here.  Can  you 
eat?" 

"  What  are  those  ?  "  she  cried,  pointing  to  the 
guns. 

"  The  men's  guns.  Best  to  keep  them  in  the  dry, 
you  see."  I  spoke  as  indifferently  as  I  could;  but 
she  was  very  quick,  and  by  the  light  of  the  storm  I 
saw  her  eyes  upon  my  face,  with  a  sharp,  piercing 
look. 

"  That's  not  your  reason.  I  hear  it  in  your  voice. 
Is  there  anything  more  to  fear  ?  " 

"  No."  It  was  a  lie,  of  course,  but  I  uttered  it 
stoutly,  feeling  the  need  of  it.  "  If  you'll  eat  some  of 
this  and  get  some  strength  back,  I'll  explain  the 
position  presently." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  she  asked,  starting  and  listening. 

In  an  interval  of  the  storm  I  heard  the  voices  of 
the  men  raised  in  high  tones. 

"  Nothing,  only  the  men  with  the  prisoner,"  I  re- 
plied calmly;  but  I  didn't  understand  the  reason  for 
the  high  voices,  and  didn't  like  it.  "  I'll  just  go  and 
see  them." 


24  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  Don't  go,  please."  Half  command,  in  the  same 
imperious  tone  I  was  getting  to  know  well;  but  un- 
mistakably also  half  entreaty.  It  was  the  note  I 
had  been  waiting  for  so  eagerly,  and  I  felt  myself  go 
hot  with  pleasure.  She  did  trust  me. 

"  As  you  wish,"  I  answered.  "  But  I  had  better 
go." 

There  was  a  pause,  and  then  she  said,  in  a  quiet 
level  tone: 

"  You  must  do  as  you  think  best,  of  course." 

"  Chris  here  will  answer  for  your  safety.  Try  and 
eat  something,"  I  said;  and  with  that  I  ran  back  again 
to  the  tent. 

In  a  moment  I  saw  something  was  wrong.  My 
four  men  were  clustered  near  the  fellow  whose  leg  I 
had  broken,  quarrelling  angrily,  with  many  gestures ; 
while  the  man  I  had  made  prisoner  was  not  in  the 
tent  at  all. 

"Where's  the  other  man?"  I  asked. 

They  all  turned  at  the  sound  of  my  voice,  and  one 
of  them,  with  whom  I  had  before  had  some  bother, 
took  the  question  to  himself.  He  shrugged  his 
broad  shoulders,  first  scowled,  and  then  laughed  in- 
solently. 

"  He's  escaped,"  he  said,  his  tone  a  mixture  of 
doggedness  and  defiance. 

The  trouble  I  had  been  looking  for  had  come,  just 
when  it  was  most  unwelcome. 


CHAPTER  II. 

KARASCH. 

I  had  had  to  deal  with  worse  trouble  than  this 
before,  however,  and  to  tackle  far  more  dangerous 
men  than  the  fellow  who,  having  sounded  the  first 
note  of  rebellion,  stood  eyeing  me  with  lowering 
brows,  while  his  fingers  played  round  the  haft  of  the 
knife  he  carried. 

These  Eastern  Europeans  can  be  dangerous 
enough  in  a  crowd,  or  in  the  dark,  or  in  any  circum- 
stances Which  offer  a  chance  of  treachery.  But  they 
don't  fight  well  alone  or  in  the  open.  That's  where 
they  differ  from  the  desperadoes  of  the  West  and  the 
mining  camps;  and  I  knew  it. 

The  tent  was  a  very  large  one,  affording  plenty  of 
room  for  a  scrimmage,  and  as  I  walked  straight  up 
to  the  man,  keeping  my  eyes  fixed  on  his,  the  rest 
drew  back  a  little.  That's  another  peculiarity  of  the 
people  of  the  hills.  They  will  back  up  a  companion 
so  long  as  the  man  in  command  is  out  of  the  way, 
and  then  back  down  quite  as  promptly  when  tEe 
music  has  to  be  faced. 

"  See  here,  Karasch,"  I  said  to  the  ringleader;  "  I 
don't  want  any  more  trouble  with  you— or  with  any- 
one else;  but  I'm  not  taking  any  insolence  from  you. 
Mind  that,  now.  What  do  you  mean  by  saying  the 
prisoner  escaped  ?  " 


26  THE   QUEEN'S  'ADVOCATE 

Before  he  answered  he  glanced  round  at  his  com- 
panions. 

"  He  ran  away,"  he  muttered. 

"  I  tied  him  up  so  that  lie  couldn't  run.  Who  set 
him  free?  .Whoever  did  that  will  answer  to  me." 

"  Karasch  did  it,"  answered  one  of  the  others. 
Then  I  guessed  the  reason  of  the  high  words  I  had 
heard,  and  that  the  speaker,  whose  name  was  Gartski, 
had  been  against  the  thing  in  opposition  to  the  rest. 

"  Why  did  you  do  it,  Karasch?  " 

"  Because  I  c'hose  to;  I'm  no  wench  minder,"  he 
replied  with  an  insolent  laugh. 

I  did  not  hesitate  a  second,  but  while  the  laugh  was 
still  on  his  lips  I  struck  him  full  in  the  face  as  hard  as 
I  could  hit  him,  and  down  he  went  like  a  ninepin. 
He  scrambled  up,  cursing  and  swearing  and  spitting 
out  the  blood  from  his  mouth,  and  made  ready  to 
rush  at  me  with  his  long  knife,  when  I  covered  him 
with  my  revolver. 

"  Put  that  knife  down,  Karasch,"  I  cried,  sternly. 
"  Don't  try  any  monkey  tricks  with  me.  And  you 
others,  choose  right  now  which  side  you're  on.  I've 
been  looking  for  this  trouble  for  a  couple  of  days 
past,  and  I'm  quite  ready  for  it." 

Gartski  came  to  my  side,  and  one  of  the  others, 
Petrov,  drew  to  Karasch;  the  fourth,  Andreas,  re- 
maining undecided. 

"You're  faithful  to  me,  Gartski?"  I  asked.  My 
guide  had  told  me  before  that  he  was,  so  I  felt  certain 
of  him. 

"  My  life  is  yours,"  he  answered  simply. 

"  Good;  then  we'll  soon  settle  this.    Wait,  Kar- 


KARASCH  27 

asch.  There  isn't  room  for  two  leaders  in  this  camp, 
and  we'll  settle  this  between  us — you  and  I  alone— 
once  for  all." 

I  took  Gartski's  knife  and  handed  him  my  revolver. 

"  If  anyone  tries  to  interfere  in  the  quarrel,  shoot 
him,  Gartski,"  I  said,  and  knife  in  hand  I  turned  to 
the  others.  "  Now,  Karasch,  if  you're  man  enough, 
we'll  fight  on  equal  terms." 

"  Good,"  said  the  other  two.  It  was  a  proposition 
fair  enough  to  please  them  all,  particularly  as  his  sup- 
porters believed  Karasch  could  account  for  me  pretty 
easily  in  such  a  fight. 

He  was  quite  ready  for  the  tussle,  and  we  began 
at  once.  The  tent  was  so  gloomy — we  had  only  the 
dim  light  from  a  couple  of  lanterns — that  it  was  with 
some  difficulty  I  could  keep  track  of  his  eyes  as  he 
crouched  down  and  moved  stealthily  around,  watch- 
ing his  opportunity  to  catch  me  at  a  disadvantage 
for  his  spring,  his  long  ugly  knife  reflecting  a  gleam 
now  from  one  and  now  from  the  other  of  the  lan- 
terns as  he  moved. 

The  storm  was  still  raging  furiously,  and  now  and 
again  a  lurid  glare  of  the  lightning  would  light  up 
the  tent  for  an  instant  so  vividly  that  the  place  seemed 
almost  dark  by  contrast  the  next  moment. 

The  men  drew  to  one  side  watching  us,  and  the 
wounded  prisoner,  stoic  as  he  had  shown  himself  in 
his  pain,  propped  himself  up  on  one  arm  and  fol- 
lowed the  fight  with  close  interest. 

My  antagonist's  fighting  was  in  the  approved  cat- 
like method.  Crouching  low,  he  would  move,  with 
lithe,  stealthy  tread,  for  a  step  or  two,  then  pause, 


28  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

then  spring  suddenly  in  a  feinted  attack,  then  as 
quickly  recover  himself,  and  begin  all  over  again. 

Fortunately  I  was  no  novice  at  the  game ;  but  I 
had  learnt  the  thing  in  another  school.  A  Mexican 
had  taught  me — an  adept  with  the  knife,  with  half  a 
score  of  lives  to  the  credit  of  his  skill.  I  stood  all 
the  time  quite  still;  every  nerve  at  tension,  every 
muscle  ready  for  the  spring  when  the  moment  came, 
•but  wasting  no  strength  in  useless  feints.  The  less 
you  do  before  the  moment  comes,  the  more  you  can 
do  when  it  does  come. 

Never  for  an  instant  did  my  eyes  stray  from  his; 
noting  every  change  of  expression;  watching  every 
movement,  step,  and  gesture;  almost  every  breath  he 
drew;  and  using  every  second  to  find  the  weak  spot 
in  his  attack. 

I  soon  saw  his  purpose.  He  was  striving  to  make 
me  give  ground  and  drive  me  back  to  where  I  should 
have  no  elbow  room  for  free  movement.  But  I  did 
not  yield  an  inch,  not  even  when  he  sprang  so  near 
me  in  one  of  his  feints  as  to  make  me  think  he  meant 
business  at  last. 

Instead  of  giving  ground  I  began  to  take  it. 
Twice  he  made  as  if  to  rush  at  me  and  each  time  as 
he  leapt  back  I  stepped  a  pace  forward.  As  the  tent 
was  too  small  to  admit  of  his  circling  me,  he  saw  that 
he  was  losing  ground;  and  I  noticed  a  shadow  of 
uneasiness  come  creeping  to  his  eyes. 

Then  I  saw  my  plan,  and  the  real  shrewdness  of 
the  Mexican's  tactics.  My  opponent's  method  had 
a  serious  flaw.  During  the  moment  that  he  was  re- 
covering himself  after  his  feints  'he  was  incapable  of 


KARASCH  29 

attack,  and  if  I  could  close  with  him  at  one  of  those 
moments  I  should  have  him  at  an  immense  disad- 
vantage. 

With  this  thought  I  drew  him  on.  When  his  next 
feinting  spring  came  I  fell  back  a  pace,  and  I  could 
tell  by  the  renewed  light  in  his  eyes  that  he  felt  re- 
assured and  confident.  He  had  made  me  give  way, 
apparently,  and  felt  he  could  easily  drive  me  back 
until  he  would  have  me  at  his  mercy. 

The  next  time  I  repeated  the  manoeuvre,  and  then 
a  grim  grin  of  triumph  lighted  his  face.  He  crouched 
again  and  moved  about  me,  stalking  me  to  drive  me 
into  an  awkward  corner  of  the  place,  his  eyes  gleam- 
ing the  While  with  fierce  confidence  and  murderous 
intent. 

Inspired  by  this  over-confidence,  Tie  sprang  at  me 
again,  this  time  too  far,  calculating  that  I  should 
again  give  way.  But  I  did  not,  and  as  he  jumped 
back  'hurriedly  to  retrieve  the  mistake  I  closed  on 
him,  caught  his  right  wrist  with  my  left  hand,  and 
pressed  him  back,  chest  to  chest,  holding  my  right 
hand  away  from  his  left  which  groped  frantically  and 
desperately  to  clutch  it. 

In  that  kind  of  tussle  he  was  no  match  for  me.  I 
had  all  a  trained  wrestler's  tricks  with  my  legs,  and 
tripped  him  in  a  moment  so  that  he  went  down  with 
his  left  arm  under  him.  I  heard  the  bone  snap  as 
we  fell  and  I  tore  the  knife  from  his  grip. 

His  life  was  mine  by  all  the  laws  of  combat  in  that 
wild  district,  and  for  a  moment  I  held  my  weapon 
poised  ready  to  strike  home  to  his  heart. 

To  do  him  justice  he  neither  quailed,  nor  uttered  a 


30  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

sound.  If  he  had  shown  a  sign  of  weakness  I  think 
I  should  have  finished  the  thing  as  I  was  fairly  en- 
titled to,  and  have  killed"  him.  But  he  was  a  brave 
fellow,  so  I  spared  him  and  got  up  and  turned  to  the 
rest. 

"  Do  either  of  you  dispute  my  leadership?  "  I  said 
to  the  others.  But  they  had  had  their  lesson,  and 
had  apparently  learnt  it  thoroughly. 

"  It  was  Karasch's  doing,  and  his  only,"  said  Pe- 
trov,  who  had  formerly  taken  sides  against  me. 

"  Get  up,  Karasch,"  I  said,  in  a  short  sharp  tone. 
He  got  up,  and  I  saw  his  left  arm  was  dangling  use- 
lessly at  his  side.  "  Now  tell  me  why  you  set  that 
prisoner  free  ?  " 

"  You  can  fight.  Your  muscles  are  like  iron.  I'll 
serve  a  man  who  can  fight  as  yoo-can,"  he  growled. 

"  That's  a  bargain,"  said  I.  "  Here;  "  and  I  held 
out  my  hand.  He  looked  at  me  in  surprise. 

"  By  the  living  God,"  he  muttered,  as  he  put  his 
hand  slowly  into  mine. 

"  Here's  your  knife,"  I  said  next,  returning  it  to 
him. 

He  drew  back,  his  surprise  greater  even  than 
before. 

"You  trust  it  to  me?"  He  took  it  in  the  same 
slow  hesitating  manner;  and  then  with  a  quick 
change  of  manner  he  set  his  heel  on  it  and  with  a 
fierce  and  savage  tug  at  the  haft,  he  broke  the  bright 
blade  in  two. 

"  It's  been  raised  against  you ;  and  I'm  your  man 
now  and  for  always,"  and  down  he  went  on  one  knee, 


KARASCH  31 

and  seizing  my  'hand  kissed  it,  and  then  laid  it  on  his 
head. 

Demonstrative  folk  these  rough  wild  hill  men  of 
Eastern  Europe,  and  I  knew  the  significance  of  this 
act  of  personal  homage. 

So  did  the  others  who  had  watched  this  quaint 
result  of  the  fight  with  the  same  breathless  interest 
as  they  had  followed  the  fight  itself. 

"  If  you  serve  me  well  you'll  find  I  can  pay  better 
than  I  can  fight,  Karasch,"  I  said,  as  he  rose. 

"  I'm  not  serving  for  pay  now,"  he  replied  simply. 
"  I  serve  you.  My  life  is  yours.  Gartski,  go  and 
saddle  a  couple  of  the  horses." 

"What  for?"  I  asked. 

"  I'll  go  and  find  the  prisoner.  He  can't  have  rid- 
den far  in  this  storm;  and  I  know  his  road." 

"  But  your  arm  is  broken." 

"  We  can  tie  it  up  while  he  gets  the  horses." 

"  Tell  me  why  you  set  him  free,  Karasch,"  I  said, 
as  Gartski  and  Andreas  went  out.  "  And  while  you 
talk  I'll  see  to  your  arm."  I  examined  it,  and  found 
the  fracture  in  the  upper  arm;  and  having  set  it  as 
best  I  could  I  dressed  it  and  bound  it  up  while  he 
spoke. 

"  On  account  of  the  woman,"  he  said.  "  I  know 
the  man,  and  he  told  me  about  her.  She's  a  witch 
and  a  thief  and  worse,  and  comes  from  Belgrade. 
She  murdered  a  child,  and  was  being  sent  to  Maglai, 
in  the  hills,  to  be  imprisoned;  and  this  morning  cast 
a  spell  over  the  men  who  were  taking  her  and 
escaped.  They  were  to  have  a  big  sum  of  money  if 
they  got  her  safe  to  Maglai,  and  the  man  promised 


32  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

me  a  share  of  it  if  I'd  let  him  go  back  and  bring  his 
friends  here  to  retake  her.  I  have  no  mercy  for  a 
witch.  God  curse  them  all ;  "  and  he  crossed  himself 
earnestly  and  spat  on  the  ground. 

"  She  is  no  witch,  Karasch,  but  just  a  girl  in  a 
plight" 

"  A  witch  can  look  just  as  she  pleases.  You  don't 
know  them,  Burgwan  " — this  was  how  they  pro- 
nounced my  name.  "  She  was  an  old  woman  when 
she  left  Belgrade.  My  friend  told  me  that;  and  she's 
been  growing  younger  every  hour.  She's  known  to 
be  a  hundred  years  old  at  least.  She's  cast  her  spell 
over  you." 

This  was  true  enough;  although  not  in  the  sense 
he  meant.  He  was  so  obviously  in  earnest  that  I 
saw  it  was  useless  to  attempt  to  argue  him  out  of  his 
superstition. 

"  Well,  witch  or  no  witch,  spell  or  no  spell,  I  am 
going  to  see  her  into  safety,"  I  answered  firmly. 

"  You'll  live  to  rue  it,  Burgwan.  If  I  help  you,  it's 
because  I  serve  you ;  not  to  serve  her,  God's  curse  on 
her ;  "  and  he  crossed  himself  again  and  spat  again, 
as  he  always  did  when  he  spoke  of  her.  "  If  you 
want  to  be  safe  from  her  spells  and  the  devil,  her 
master,  you'd  better  twist  her  neck  at  midnight  and 
lop  off  her  hands.  It's  the  only  way  to  break  the 
spell  when  once  cast." 

"  Ah,  well,  I'll  try  and  find  another  way.  And  I'll 
take  all  the  risks.  Was  that  what  you  were  all 
wrangling  about  when  I  came  in  the  hut  just  now?  " 

"  Yes.  She's  done  harm  enough,  already.  That 
man's  broken  leg,  three  good  horses  killed,  and  now 


KARASCH  33 

my  arm ;  "  and  he  cursed  her  again  bitterly.  "  It'll 
be  you  next,"  he  added. 

"  It'll  not  be  my  arm  that  she  breaks,"  was  my 
thought. 

"  What  he  says  is  true,"  interposed  the  man  whom 
I  had  shot.  "  She's  a  witch  and  a  devil.  Else  how 
did  she  know  when  to  escape  and  how  to  ride  here  to 
you?" 

"  Answer  that,  Burgwan,"  said  Karasch,  con- 
fidently. "  How  could  she  know,  if  she  weren't  a 
witch?" 

Gartski  came  in  then  to  say  the  horses  were  ready, 
and  his  entrance  made  any  reply  unnecessary,  for 
Karasch  rose  at  once,  went  out  and  mounted. 

"  I'll  bring  him  back,"  he  said,  "  I  know  I  can  find 
him  unless  that  devil  blinds  the  track." 

"  Why  should  she  do  that,  as  it's  for  her  own  ad- 
vantage? "  I  asked;  but  he  and  Andreas  were  already 
moving  off,  and  his  answer  was  lost  in  the  night  air. 

The  storm  had  passed  and  the  rain  ceased,  and  as 
I  watched  the  two  men  ride  off,  the  moon  came  out 
from  behind  the  clouds,  so  that  I  could  follow  the 
horses  for  some  distance  down  the  ravine.  As  soon 
as  they  had  passed  out  of  sight  I  turned  to  the  hut. 

I  did  not  enter,  but  stood  near  the  little  window 
and  leant  against  the  wall  thinking.  The  tale  I  had 
heard  concerning  the  girl  had  made  me  very  thought- 
ful. Those  who  know  anything  of  the  ignorant 
superstition  of  the  peasantry  of  the  Balkans  will  best 
appreciate  the  danger  to  her  of  that  grim  reputation. 
I  had  heard  scores  of  stories  of  men  and  women  who 
had  been  done  to  death  with  merciless  barbarity  for 


34  THE   QUEEN'S  'ADVOCATE 

witchcraft.  The  mere  charge  itself  was  enough  to 
turn  from  them  any  chance  of  fair  trial  and  justice: 
and  I  knew  there  was  not  one  of  the  men  with  me 
who  would  not  have  thought  he  was  doing  a  Chris- 
tian act  to  strangle  her.  To  kill  her  was  to  aim  a 
blow  at  the  devil:  the  accepted  duty  of  every  God- 
fearing man  and  woman. 

But  it  was  not  so  much  her  danger  that  set  me 
thinking  then  as  the  reason  which  must  lie  behind 
the  accusation.  Who  could  have  been  devilish 
enough  to  set  such  a  brand  upon  her;  and  why?  Did 
she  know  her  reputation?  There  must  have  been 
some  black  work  somewhere  to  account  for  the  plight 
to  which  such  a  girl  had  thus  been  reduced. 

High-born  and  gently  nurtured  she  certainly  was; 
accustomed  to  command  and  to  be  obeyed,  as  she 
had  given  abundant  proofs;  endowed  with  beauty 
and  grace  far  beyond  the  average  of  her  sex;  and 
with  innocence  and  purity  stamped  on  every  feature 
and  manifesting  itself  in  every  act!  Great  enough 
to  have  powerful  enemies,  probably,  I  guessed;  and 
in  that  I  looked  to  find  the  key  to  the  problem. 

I  was  in  the  midst  of  these  somewhat  rambling 
thoughts  when  the  casement  was  pushed  open  gently. 

"  Is  it  you,  Burgwan?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is." 

"What  are  you  doing  there?"  I  was  beginning 
to  listen  now  for  the  little  note  of  command  in  her 
voice. 

"  I  am  on  watch." 

"  I  have  turned  you  from  your  cottage."     This 


KARASCH  35 

was  half  apologetic:  followed  directly  by  the  other 
tone.  "  You  will  be  well  paid." 

"  Thank  you."  It  was  no  use  protesting.  It 
seemed  to  please  her  to  feel  that  she  could  repay  me 
for  any  trouble;  and  it  did  no  harm  to  humour  her. 

"  The  storm  is  over.     Can  we  not  start?  " 

"  Where  would  you  go?  " 

She  hesitated.     "  I  wish  to  get  to  the  railway." 

"  To  go  where  ?  " 

"  Do  not  question  me." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  am  not  questioning  you 
in  the  sense  you  imply.  There  are  two  lines  of  rail- 
way about  the  same  distance  away.  One  leads  to 
Serajevo,  the  other  to  Belgrade." 

"  How  far  away  ?  " 

"The  former  perhaps  twenty  miles;  the  other  I 
don't  know." 

She  caught  her  breath  at  this.  "  Where  am  I, 
then?" 

"  In  the  middle  of  the  Gravenje  hills." 

"  God  have  mercy  on  me."  It  was  only  a  whisper; 
but  so  eloquent  of  despair. 

"  You  need  not  despair.  It  is  as  easy  to  travel 
forty  miles  as  thirty ;  and  twenty  are  not  much  worse 
than  ten.  I  will  see  you  through."  But  this  touched 
her  dignity  again. 

"  You  shall  be  well  paid,"  she  repeated.  I  let  it 
pass,  and  there  came  a  pause. 

"Can  we  not  start?" 

"  You  have  not  told  me  for  which  railway;  but  it 
doesn't  matter,  as  we  cannot  start  to-night." 

"  Why  not  ?  "    .The  imperative  mood  again. 


36  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  My  guide  is  not  here." 

"Your  guide?"  Suspicion  and  incredulity  now. 
"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  don't  know  your  own 
country?  Do  you  expect  me  to  believe  that?  It  is 
a  mere  excuse." 

"  Have  you  found  me  deceive  you  yet  in  any- 
thing?" 

"  There  may  have  been  no  cause  yet." 

"  Will  it  not  be  more  just  to  wait  until  you  do  find 
cause  then?  " 

Another  pause  followed. 

"  I  don't  wish  to  anger  you,"  she  said,  with  a 
touch  of  nervousness;  and  as  if  to  correct  the  impres- 
sion, she  added :  "  Perhaps  you  do  not  think  I  can 
keep  my  promise  to  pay  you." 

"  You  may  disbelieve  me,  but  I  don't  disbelieve 
you.  I  have  told  you  no  more  than  the  truth." 

"  But  why  do  you  need  a  guide?  "  she  asked  after 
a  moment's  thought. 

"  Because  I  don't  know  the  way,  and  don't  care 
to  trust  to  the  men  here  now." 

"  But  if  it  is  your  own  country,  why  don't  you 
know  it?  " 

"  It  is  not  my  own  country."  This  surprised  her, 
and  again  she  was  silent  for  a  time. 

"  Who  are  you?  "  was  the  next  question.  "  And 
where  do  you  belong?  " 

"  I  am  Burgwan." 

"  That  is  the  name  of  the  brigand." 

"  I  know  that;  but  I  am  not  a  brigand.  And  now 
I  think  you  had  better  try  and  rest.  If  we  are  to 
reach  the  railway  to-morrow,  it  will  be  a  long  day's 


"IK  A  SECOND  SHE  WAS  IN  THE  GRIP  OF  HAT.F  A  DOZEN  MEN." 

Page  37 


KARASCH  37 

ride,  and  you  must  get  some  sleep.  You  can  sleep 
in  perfect  safety,  the  dog  will  stay  with  you." 

"  You  are  a  strange  man,  Burgwan.  What  are 
you?" 

"  Does  it  matter  so  long  as  I  can  bring  you  out  of 
this  plight?  Do  what  I  ask,  please.  Rest  and  get 
sleep  and  strength." 

"  Do  you  presume  to  give  me  your  orders?  " 

"  Yes,  when  they  are  for  your  good.  Have  you 
eaten  anything?" 

"  It  is  for  me  to  give  orders,  not  to  obey  them." 

"  Have  you  eaten  what  I  brought  you?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  So  far  well,  then.  Good-night ; "  and  I  moved 
a  pace  or  two  away. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  " 

"  I  shall  be  out  here  all  night  within  call.  And  you 
have  Chris."  She  looked  at  me  in  the  moonlight  and 
our  eyes  met. 

"  Why  do  I  trust  you,  Burgwan  ?  "  I  started  with 
pleasure. 

"  It  doesn't  matter  so  long  as  you  do.  Good- 
night." 

"  It  is  a  shame  for  you  to  have  to  stay  there  all 
night;  but  I  shall  feel  safe  if  you  do." 

"  It's  all  right."  I  was  smitten  suddenly  with 
nervousness  and  answered  brusquely. 

"  I  shall  sleep,  Burgwan.     Good-night." 

Her  tone  had  a  touch  of  gentle  confidence,  and  I 
thought  she  smiled.  But  I  did  not  look  straight  at 
her  and  made  no  reply. 

In  one  way  she  was  a  witch,  truly  enough;  she  had 


38  THE   QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

cast  over  me  a  spell  which  made  me  feel  to  her  as  I 
had  never  felt  toward  any  other  woman;  and  I  leaned 
back  against  the  wall  with  my  arms  folded  thinking, 
thinking,  aye,  and  dreaming,  for  all  that  I  was  full 
awake  and  my  every  sense  alert  and  vigilant  on  my 
watch. 

Presently,  how  soon  or  how  long  afterwards  1 
know  not,  I  heard  the  casement  opened  softly  and 
she  peeped  out  and  round  at  me. 

"  You  are  still  there,  Burgwan  ?  " 

"  I  said  I  would  be,  and  I  generally  keep  my  word.'* 

"  You  are  not  going  to  stand  all  night?  " 

"  No;  there's  a  stone  here  that  will  serve  for  a  seat 
if  I  tire." 

She  drew  in  her  head  for  a  moment,  and  I  heard 
her  move  something  in  the  cottage. 

"  There  is  a  chair  here  and  a  rug.  Take  them ; " 
and  she  put  them  out  through  the  window. 

"  You  are  kindly  thoughtful,"  I  said.  But  here 
again  I  seemed  to  cross  the  curious  dividing  line  in 
her  thoughts,  for  she  drew  her  head  up,  and  looked 
at  me  half  indignantly. 

"  Good-night."  She  spoke  very  stiffly,  and  closed 
the  casement  with  sharp  abruptness. 

But  I  forgave  the  action  for  the  kindness  of  the 
thought,  and  resumed  my  watch  and  my  dreaming. 


CHAPTER  III. 

MORE   WITCHCRAFT. 

The  night  hours  sped  away  with  only  one  incident 
to  disturb  us.  I  heard  a  strange  noise  which  I  could 
not  locate  nor  understand,  and  as  I  stood  listening 
intently  Chris,  within  the  hut,  barked  loudly. 

I  heard  the  girl  speak  to  him,  and  was  half  minded 
to  ask  her  to  let  him  out  that  he  might  help  my 
watch;  but  I  heard  nothing  more,  and  so  let  the  thing 
pass. 

Day  had  broken  before  Karasch  returned.  He 
was  alone,  and  had  only  failure  and  mishap  to  report. 
Trouble  had  dogged  him  from  the  start.  He  had 
not  seen  a  trace  of  the  man  he  had  gone  out  to  find. 
His  companion's  horse  had  put  his  foot  in  a  hole  and 
broken  his  leg,  and  nearly  killed  Andreas,  who  was 
lying  some  fifteen  miles  away  in  the  hills;  while  Kar- 
asch himself  had  twice  been  thrown,  the  second  time 
with  disastrous  results  to  his  broken  arm. 

He  left  no  doubt  as  to  where  he  laid  the  blame. 

"  We  are  bewitched,  Burgwan,"  lie  said,  his  brow 
frowning  and  his  glance  threatening.  "  In  five  years 
I  have  never  once  been  thrown;  and  now  twice 
within  as  many  hours.  The  spell  was  upon  us,  and 
we  were  not  meant  to  find  the  man." 

"  Does  anyone  cast  spells  for  their  own  hurt,  Kar- 
asch? It  was  necessary  for  her  safety  that  the  man 


40  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

should  be  caught  and  prevented  from  bringing  his 
comrades  here." 

"  You  are  not  of  this  country,  or  you  would  know 
better.  These  devils  work  their  own  ends  in  their 
own  ways.  I  lifted  my  hand  against  you  because  of 
her,  and  have  brought  the  spell  upon  me.  God  de- 
fend us;  "  and  he  crossed  himself  earnestly. 

"  But  why  should  she  help  to  bring  her  pursuers 
here  ?  "  I  repeated ;  and  might  as  well  have  reasoned 
with  the  wind. 

"  You  do  not  know.  He  will  never  reach  his 
friends;  or,  if  he  does,  the  way  hither  will  be  hidden 
from  them." 

"  Don't  be  a  blind  fool,  Karasch,"  I  exclaimed, 
losing  my  temper. 

He  looked  at  me  and  shook  his  head  slowly  with  a 
suggestion  of  commiseration. 

"  It  is  not  I  who  am  the  fool  or  blind,  Burgwan," 
he  answered,  almost  sadly.  "  Listen.  The  first  time  I 
was  thrown,  I  saw  before  me  a  stretch  of  beautiful 
turf  and  pricked  my  "horse  to  a  gallop  across  it  when 
he  plunged  right  into  a  pit;  and  I  wonder  I  was  not 
killed.  The  next  time,  just  before  dawn,  I  was  feel- 
ing my  way  carefully  when  she  herself  appeared  sud- 
denly in  front  of  me,  all  white  fire,  and  flashing  a 
gleaming  sword  before  my  eyes.  I  checked  my 
horse,  in  fear,  and  he  reared  and  fell  back  almost  on 
top  of  me.  Is  not  that  enough  to  prove  the  spell?  " 

It  proved  to  me  that  he  had  either  been  asleep  on 
his  horse  or  was  suffering  from  disordered  nerves  as 
the  result  of  fatigue  and  the  pain  from  his  arm;  but 


MORE    WITCHCRAFT  41 

when  I  told  him  so,  he  grew  more  morose  and  pity- 
ing in  his  manner. 

"  I  know  why  you  talk  as  you  do,"  he  said.  "  You 
have  looked  into  her  eyes.  The  spell  is  on  you,  too 
— on  all  here;  and  we  shall  die — unless  she  does." 
The  last  three  words  were  uttered  after  a  long  pause, 
during  which  he  had  glanced  ominously  and  fear- 
somely  toward  the  hut.  Superstition  held  him  in  its 
thrall. 

I  judged  it  best  to  check  the  thought  under  the 
words  at  once. 

"  The  man  who  lays  a  finger  on  her  to  her  hurt 
will  have  to  reckon  with  me,  Karasch,"  I  said, 
sternly,  and  turned  away. 

He  made  no  reply,  but  rode  on  to  the  shed  some 
distance  to  the  rear  of  the  tent,  where  we  stalled  the 
horses. 

I  began  to  scent  a  fresh  danger  for  the  "  witch," 
and  was  fast  growing  as  anxious  as  she  herself  could 
be  to  get  away.  If  Karasch  believed  that  he  would 
be  saving  me  from  the  spell  by  killing  her,  I  knew  he 
was  quite  capable  of  doing  it  in  the  face  of  any  com- 
mands I  might  lay  upon  him  and  the  others. 

It  was  easy  to  guess  at  his  crude  reasoning.  I  had 
looked  into  her  eyes,  and  was  thus  under  her  spell 
while  she  lived.  My  orders  for  her  safety  would 
thus  be  regarded  as  the  result  of  the  accursed  en- 
chantment; and  they  would  only  have  to  kill  her  to 
free  me  from  the  spell  and  make  me  to  see  that  they 
had  done  the  right  thing.  They  would  feel  that  I 
should  then  be  as  eager  to  reward  them  for  her  mur- 
der as  I  was  now  to  forbid  them  touching  her. 


42  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

Added  to  this  was  the  actual  and  pressing  danger 
arising  from  the  fact  that  the  man  who  had  pursued 
her  had  escaped  to  carry  the  tidings  of  her  where- 
abouts to  his  companions  and  bring  them  down  upon 
us,  perhaps  in  force. 

The  situation  was  growing  tighter  with  every  fresh 
turn,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  to  rush  matters  and 
get  away  at  once.  I  would  not  wait  for  the  return 
of  my  guide,  but  take  the  risk  of  finding  my  way 
alone. 

I  had  just  made  this  decision  when  Gartski  came 
running  round  the  tent  with  a  white,  scared  face.  He 
stopped  some  yards  short  of  the  hut,  as  if  loath  to 
come  too  near  the  abode  of  the  accursed  one,  and 
crossed  himself. 

"  The  horses  have  been  killed,  Burgwan.  Will 
you  come  to  the  shed  to  Karasch  ?  " 

The  news,  if  true,  was  ill  enoug'h  to  make  me 
change  colour,  and  I  went  back  with  him. 

"  We  are  all  under  a  curse.  It  is  witch's  work," 
he  said  in  a  curiously  awed  tone;  and  he  wrung  his 
hands  and  crossed  himself  again.  I  was  beginning 
to  regard  that  gesture  of  devotion  with  a  pretty  con- 
siderable dislike  by  that  time. 

The  news  was  true  enough.  The  three  horses  lay 
dead  on  the  shed  floor,  each  in  a  pool  of  blood ;  and 
on  the  quarter  of  each  of  them  a  small  ring  of  blood 
was  to  be  seen  some  two  inches  across.  Peering 
into  the  shed  stood  the  horse  from  which  Karasch 
had  just  dismounted,  his  neck  outstretched  and  his 
ears  cocked  in  fear. 

Karasch  and  Petrov  were  inside,  preternaturally; 


'MORE   WITCHCRAFT  43 

grave  and  awe-struck.  Both  looked  as  frightened  as 
Gartski  when  he  had  come  running  with  the  news  to 
me;  and  Karasch  pointed  ominously  in  turn  at  the 
marks  on  each  of  the  dead  animals. 

'''  The  witch's  mark.     It's  always  there,"  he  said. 

It  was  unquestionably  very  strange,  and  I  looked 
solemn  enough  no  doubt  to  lead  them  to  believe  I 
was  beginning  to  share  their  own  superstitious  fears. 
It  was  about  the  worst  thing  that  could  have  occurred 
at  such  a  juncture;  and  for  the  moment  I  could  think 
of  nothing  but  the  possible  consequences  of  so  dis- 
astrous an  occurrence. 

With  an  effort  I  roused  myself  and  examined  the 
"  witch's  "  mark  on  each  of  the  beasts.  A  circle  had 
been  cut  with  the  point  of  a  sharp  knife,  the  mark 
being  just  skin  deep. 

"  How  did  they  die,  do  you  think,  Karasch  ?  " 

He  pointed  again  to  the  marks  and  smiled  grimly, 
as  though  the  cause  were  too  plain  to  need  words. 

"  And  all  this  blood?  "  I  asked. 

He  shrugged  his  great  shoulders. 

I  looked  at  Gartski  and  the  third  man  closely,  for 
any  sign  that  they  had  had  a  hand  in  it;  but  their 
superstitious  fear  was  too  genuine  to  be  doubted. 

"  Turn  the  horses  over,"  I  ordered;  but  they 
shrank  away  and  obstinately  refused  to  put  a  finger 
near  them. 

"  Who  is  smeared  with  the  blood  of  a  witch-killed 
beast  dies  before  the  moon  is  old,"  said  Karasch. 
'  They  must  burn  where  they  lie." 

'  You're  a  set  of  fools,"  I  cried  angrily.  But 
neither  anger  nor  request  was  heeded. 


44  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

I  took  the  iron  bar  from  the  door,  and  levering  it 
under  the  smallest  of  the  horses  turned  the  carcase 
over  sufficiently  to  find  what  I  sought — the  cause  of 
death.  There  was  a  wound  just  under  the  heart. 
The  horse  had  been  stabbed  with  a  sword  or  long 
knife.  Whoever  had  done  the  work  knew  where  and 
how  to  strike  so  as  to  kill  instantly. 

I  went  outside  then  and  searched  the  ground  all 
round  the  door  carefully. 

"  Come  back  to  the  tent  all  of  you,"  I  said.  I  led 
the  way,  scrutinising  every  inch  of  the  ground  and 
following  a  somewhat  unaccountable  trail  I  had  dis- 
covered. It  led  direct  to  the  tent. 

"  Let  me  see  to  your  arm,  Karasch,"  I  said  first, 
intending  to  let  them  have  some  minutes  to  recover 
from  the  first  effects  of  their  stupefaction. 

"  No,  Burgwan.  You  have  cursed  blood  on  you. 
You  cannot  touch  me.  I  should  die,  too." 

"  Very  well,  then,  we'll  settle  this  thing  first.  You 
saddled  Karasch's  horse  last  night,  Gartski.  Did 
you  fasten  the  shed  afterwards?  " 

"No;  we  never  fasten  it.  Bars  won't  keep  out 
devils." 

"  This  is  the  work  of  no  devil.  Those  horses  have 
been  killed  by  someone  who  plunged  a  knife  into 
their  hearts  and  then  cut  that  ring  on  the  haunch. 
I  saw  the  wound  myself  on  the  beast  I  examined. 
They  were  all  right  when  you  left  them  ?  " 

"  Yes,  quite  right." 

"  Did  either  of  you  go  near  the  shed  again  until 
Karasch  returned,  or  did  you  sleep  ?  "  I  asked  next, 


MORE    WITCHCRAFT  45 

remembering  the  strange  noise  I  had  heard  in  the 
night. 

"  We  had  had  a  long  day,  and  both  slept  soundly." 

"  We're  getting  very  close  to  it  now,"  I  answered. 
I  turned  to  our  prisoner  with  the  broken  leg.  "  How 
is  your  leg  this  morning,  my  man  ?  " 

"  Very  painful,  but  better,"  he  replied  after  a 
pause. 

"  Did  you  sleep,  or  did  you  hear  anything  in  the 
night?" 

"  I  slept  all  through  the  night.  I  was  asleep  when 
you  came  in  just  now."  » 

"  Then  it  ought  not  to  be  so  painful.  I'll  have  a 
look  at  it." 

"  No,  no,"  he  cried,  putting  up  his  hands  to  ward 
me  off.  "  Don't  touch  me.  You  have  touc'hed  the 
accursed  blood." 

"  Do  you  believe  in  it,  too?  "  and  I  looked  keenly 
at  him. 

He  crossed  himself  earnestly  and  spat  on  the  floor. 

"  Stay,  stay.  You're  a  Turk !  why  do  you  cross 
yourself  with  the  cross  of  the  Christians?  I  won't 
touch  you  against  your  will,  but  I  must  see  how  your 
leg  is  doing.  Lift  him  up,  Gartski,"  and  I  pointed  to 
a  bench.  They  hesitated.  "  Do  as  I  say;  and 
smartly,  too.  You  know  me,"  I  cried  sternly. 

The  man  objected  and  protested  with  many  oaths, 
and  cursed  me  volubly.  But  I  insisted;  and  the 
others  did  not  dare  to  disobey  me.  Karasch  himself 
plucked  the  man's  rug  off,  and  the  other  two  lifted 
him. 

The  mystery  was  instantly  plain  to  me.     The  man 


46  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

was  smeared  from  head  to  foot  with  mud  and  blood, 
the  traces  of  which  he  had  tried  to  remove;  and  lying 
where  his  body  had  covered  them  were  a  knife  and  a 
small  lantern;  while  a  glance  at  his  injured  leg 
showed  me  that  the  splints  had  been  all  but  torn  off 
in  the  exertions  of  his  night's  work. 

He  was  a  faithful  servant  to  his  masters,  whoever 
they  might  be;  and  he  had  conceived  the  design  of 
killing  the  only  horses  we  had,  in  order  to  prevent 
the  escape  of  the  girl  before  his  comrades  could  re- 
turn to  recapture  her. 

Waiting  until  the  two  men  in  the  tent  were  fast 
asleep  he  had  dragged  himself,  painfully  and  labori- 
ously, through  the  mud  to  the  shed,  had  shut  him- 
self in,  and,  by  the  light  of  the  lantern  he  carried,  had 
deliberately  stabbed  one  horse  after  the  other,  put- 
ting on  each  the  witch's  mark.  He  knew  the  super- 
stition about  it,  of  course,  and  trusted  to  that  to  save 
him  from  the  risk  of  discovery.  I  had  seen  the  slimy 
trail  he  had  left  in  the  mud,  however,  and  had  thus 
detected  him. 

With  what  dogged  effort  he  had  acted  and  the 
stoical  endurance  he  had  shown  were  evidenced  by 
the  condition  of  his  wounded  leg.  The  splints  had 
been  torn  off,  and  he  must  have  suffered  excruciating 
agony  in  the  grating  of  the  fractured  bones. 

I  taxed  him  with  the  deed,  but  he  denied  it,  of 
course,  and  swore  by  every  oath  he  could  think  of, 
Christian  and  Mahomedan  alike,  that  he  was  inno- 
cent and  had  slept  soundly  the  whole  night  through. 

I  drew  Karasch  aside.  "  You  can  see  for  yourself 
what  happened,"  I  said,  significantly  and  triumph- 


MORE    WITCHCRAFT  47 

antly.  But  his  superstition  was  proof  even  against 
such  evidence. 

"  You  do  not  understand,  Burgwan ;  I  do,"  he  re- 
plied, in  the  same  dismal  fanatical  tone. 

"  The  thing  can  be  seen  as  plainly  as  a  mountain  in 
the  moonlight,"  I  exclaimed,  impatiently.  "  He 
wants  to  prevent  our  getting  away  until  his  com- 
panions get  'here." 

But  Karasch  only  shook  his  head. 

"  You  can  see  that  he  did  it,  can't  you,  man?  " 

"  I  can  see  she  used  his  body  to  do  it.  They  often 
do  that.  He  did  it  in  a  dream.  His  hand;  her  mind. 
I'll  question  him." 

"  And  put  a  ready-made  lie  into  his  thoughts,"  I 
exclaimed,  angrily. 

"  It  is  witch's  work,  more  than  his,"  he  repeated, 
stubbornly  and  doggedly.  I  felt  I  should  lose  my 
temper  if  I  stayed  longer,  and  tossing  up  my  hands 
in  despair  at  his  folly,  I  gave  up  talking  sense  to  him. 

I  washed  off  the  traces  of  the  blood  from  my  hands, 
and  having  got  materials  for  a  breakfast,  went  away 
to  the  hut  to  try  and  think  what  next  to  do  in  view 
of  this  fresh  disaster. 

I  don't  think  I  had  ever  been  more  completely 
cornered  than  I  was  by  the  position  which  faced  me 
then.  I  was  thirty  miles  or  so  from  anywhere;  I 
did  not  know  the  road  for  even  a  league  from  the 
camp;  and  I  hadn't  an  animal  left  worth  calling  a 
horse.  If  I  attempted  to  leave  with  the  girl,  we  should 
probably  be  lost,  or  break  down  by  the  way.  Yet 
if  I  stayed  where  I  was,  we  should  have  her  pur- 
suers back  to  fetch  her;  while,  even  if  they  did 


48  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

not  come,  there  was  an  almost  hourly  risk  that  my 
own  men  would  break  out  against  her  in  order  to 
deliver  me  from  her  enchantment. 

Whichever  way  I  turned  I  could  see  nothing  but 
imminent  peril  for  her — peril  of  death  indeed;  and 
cudgel  my  wits  as  I  would,  I  could  see  no  turning  in 
the  long,  straight  lane  of  danger. 

I  remember  stopping  midway  between  the  tent 
and  the  hut,  and  setting  down  the  things  I  carried, 
and  glancing  round  at  the  circle  of  frowning  hills 
with  a  confused  and  dismaying  sense  of  feebleness. 
The  breeze  of  the  morning,  fresh  and  invigorating 
as  it  was,  seemed  to  grow  hot,  stifling,  oppressive, 
until  it  was  positively  difficult  to  breathe  freely.  The 
hills  had  become  suddenly  as  the  walls  of  a  prison, 
shutting  me  in,  a  helpless,  crippled  prisoner.  Light, 
freedom,  hope,  life  were  all  on  the  other  side  .of 
them,  but  the  path  was  barred  and  the  way  of  escape 
blocked.  My  nerves  were  shaken  and  the  mental 
perspective  warped,  for  the. moment,  in  the  exag- 
geration of  sudden  alarm  for  the  girl. 

The  sight  of  her  brought  me  to  my  senses  again. 
She  appeared  at  the  door  of  the  hut  and  looking 
about  her  saw  me  and  smiled.  I  must  keep  the 
knowledge  of  danger  from  her,  of  course,  so  I  went 
down  and  pretended  to  busy  myself  with  my  pack- 
ages while  I  pulled  myself  together. 

I  picked  them  up  and  went  on  to  the  hut  whistling 
a  strain  of  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  and  trying 
to  appear  as  if  I  hadn't  a  thought  in  the  world  above 
breakfast. 

"  Good-morning,  Burgwan,"  she  said,  with  a  sort 
of  chary  patronage  and  encouragement. 


MORE    WITCHCRAFT  49 

"  Good-morning.  I  have  brought  your  breakfast. 
Very  homely  diet,  but  the  best  we  can  offer  you 
here." 

"Never  mind.  What  time  do  we  start?"  She 
had  a  rare  knack  of  finding  awkward  questions. 

"  The  guide  is  not  come  yet,"  I  answered,  con- 
scious that  my  pause  would  rouse  her  suspicions. 

"  But  I  cannot  wait  long." 

"  That's  true  enough."  I  spoke  the  thought  aloud, 
unwittingly. 

"What  does  that  mean?"  Very  sharply  asked, 
this. 

"  I  can't  answer  any  questions  yet.  I  have  to 
think." 

The  reply  appeared  to  offend  her,  and  her  eyes 
flashed  as  she  drew  herself  up  with  a  gesture  of 
authority  and  constraint.  She  was  turning  back  into 
the  hut  when  she  caught  sight  of  some  stains  on  my 
clothes. 

"  That  is — blood?  "     She  paused  before  the  word. 

"  Yes,  it's  blood.     I  didn't  know  it  was  there." 

She  shrank  from  me  for  a  space  against  the  lintel. 

"  It's  horse's  blood.  We've  had  some  trouble  in 
the  stables,  and  I'm  afraid  I  don't  cut  a  very  pretty 
figure  just  now."  I  tried  to  make  light  of  it  in  this 
way;  but  it  was  a  feeble  effort. 

"  Tell  me — at  once.  The  truth,  please."  There 
was  eagerness  now  in  her  tone,  as  well  as  the  usual 
imperative  note. 

I  hesitated.  "  I  suppose  you'd  better  know  it," 
I  said  then.  "  There  has  been  foul  play  in  the  night, 
and  our  horses  have  been  killed.  I  got  this  on  me 


50  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

when  I  was  tracing  the  thing  to  its  source.  That's 
all — but  it's  bad  enough." 

"How  many?" 

"  All  but  one — and  he's  dead  lame,  I'm  afraid." 

"  Is  this  true?  or  is  it  an  excuse  to  keep  me  here?  " 

I  winced.  The  injustice  bit  deep.  I  looked  at  her 
with  a  protest  in  my  eyes. 

"  If  you'll  put  that  question  plainly,  perhaps  you'll 
see  it  in  its  proper  light,  and  understand  how  it  may 
sound  to  me.  No,  I  don't  mean  that.  It  doesn't 
matter.  I  have  told  you  the  truth;  that's  all." 

"  But  it  does  mean  delay?  " 

"  I'm  very  sorry;  but  thirty  or  forty  miles  make  a 
long  march  for  a  lame  horse.  I  could  manage  on 
foot,  of  course,  but "  I  left  the  sentence  un- 
finished. 

She  started,  and  bit  her  lip  as  she  realised  my 
meaning.  To  avoid  seeing  her  distress,  and  to  fill 
the  pause,  I  dropped  one  of  the  tins  I  was  carrying 
and  stooped  to  pick  it  up. 

"  I  have  to  beg  your  pardon,  Burgwan,  for  doubt- 
ing you." 

"  That's  no  account,  I  assure  you.  I  couldn't  have 
helped  it  myself  if  the  position  had  been  reversed. 
The  truth  does  sometimes  look  strangely  like  false- 
hood." 

"  But  you  don't  seem  to  understand  that  I  must 
get  away.  I  must." 

"  I  do  realise  it,"  I  answered,  very  earnestly,  "  and 
mean  to  find  a  way,  somehow.  I'm  not  easy  to  beat, 
most  times." 

"  When  can  we  start,  then  ?  "     I  noticed  the  "  we," 


MORE    WITCHCRAFT  51 

and  I  think  it  had  something  to  do  with  putting  me 
off  my  guard. 

"  I  shall  have  to  think  a  bit,"  I  said. 

"  It  must  be  soon,  Burgwan.  What  time  is  it 
now?  " 

Without  thinking,  I  pulled  out  my  watch  from  an 
inner  pocket — a  big  gold  chronometer  on  a  gold 
chain — and  the  moment  I  caught  her  quick  eyes  on 
it  I  saw  the  mistake,  and  regretted  it. 

"  Just  six  o'clock,"  I  answered,  as  indifferently  as 
I  could. 

"  That's  a  very  valuable  watch  you  carry  in  these 
lonely  hills ; "  and  her  look  spoke  her  thought  much 
more  eloquently  than  her  words. 

"  It's  a  very  good  timekeeper,"  I  answered  at 
random. 

Her  intent  gaze  held  me  all  the  while,  and  I  saw 
gathering  in  her  eyes  something  of  the  suspicion  with 
which  she  had  first  heard  my  name  the  previous 
night. 

"How  did  you  get  it?" 

"  Are  you  not  over  quick  with  your  suspicions  ?  " 

"  Am  I  to  fear  you — or  trust  you?  " 

"  If  you  trust  me  it  will  have  to  be  without  asking 
any  questions — at  present.  You  have  no  reason  to 
fear  me ;  and  never  will  have." 

'  You  must  tell  me  where  you  got  so  valuable  a 
thing — you,  a  peasant  of  the  hills?  " 

"  I  am  not  a  peasant  of  the  hills." 

"  Where  did  you  get  it  ?  " 

"  If  I  told  you,  you  would  scarcely  believe  me," 

"  Where  ?  "  she  insisted. 


52  THE    QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"I  bought  it;  that's  all." 

She  drew  a  deep  breath  and  bit  her  lip. 

"  I  have  thought  of  you  as  a  brave  man  capable  of 
real  nobleness.  I  have  believed  you  to  be  true  and 
honest.  If  you  fail  me  I  have  no  hope.  And  if  you 
mean  me  harm,  for  the  sake  of  the  living  God  tell  me 
so."  She  spoke  with  intense  but  carefully  restrained 
passion  until  the  last  few  words. 

"  Don't  take  it  like  that,"  I  replied,  firmly  and 
calmly,  although  moved  to  the  core  by  her  appeal. 
"  I  will  tell  you  something.  I  am  not  what  I  may 
have  seemed  to  you.  I  am  no  peasant  and  no 
brigand,  as  you  seem  to  fear.  Who  and  what  I  am, 
and  why  here,  I  cannot  tell  you  yet;  but,  believe  this, 
I  will  serve  you  and  save  you  from  this  trouble.  If 
you  wish  it,  I  will  take  any  oath  you  like  on  that. 
But  my  word  is  my  word,  and  you  may  trust  it." 

She  listened  intently,  marking  every  word,  and 
when  I  finished  she  bent  forward  and  gazed  search- 
ingly  right  into  my  eyes.  Then  she  drew  a  deep, 
long  breath,  as  of  relief,  and  smiled. 

"  Thank  God,  I  feel  I  can  trust  you.  I  will  not 
question  you  again,  Burgwan.'" 

"  Then  the  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  show  it  by 
getting  some  breakfast." 

The  change  to  the  commonplace  and  practical 
from  that  moment  of  feverish  passion  was  a  welcome 
relief  to  us  both. 

"  Yes;  you  are  right.  I  will,"  she  answered,  forc- 
ing a  smile;  and  picking  up  the  things  I  had  laid  on 
the  chair,  she  carried  them  into  the  hut. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  CONTEST  IN  WILL  POWER. 

'After  that  incident  there  was  something  of  a 
change  in  the  curious  relations  between  us.  She  was 
just  as  imperious  at  times;  but  less  patronising.  She 
seemed  to  expect  my  services  less  as  a  return  for  pay- 
ment to  be  made,  or  by  right  of  caste  and  station, 
than  in  virtue  of  her  womanhood  and  helplessness. 
Either  she  now  believed  entirely  in  my  good  faith, 
or  she  was  anxious  to  make  me  think  she  did. 

I  explained  to  her  how  I  generally  contrived  to 
prepare  my  food,  showed  her  how  to  manage  the 
spirit  stove,  pointed  out  where  the  few  things  need- 
ful were  kept,  and  offered  to  make  the  meal  ready 
for  her. 

"  I  am  not  helpless,  and  can  do  it  myself,  thank 
you,"  she  said,  half  resentfully. 

"  I  didn't  know,"  I  answered,  and  soon  after  left 
her  to  it.  I  went  back  to  the  tent  to  wash  my  face 
and  hands  and  endeavour  to  get  the  blood  stains  from 
my  clothes.  I  began  to  be  disquietingly  conscious 
of  my  exceedingly  ungroomed  condition. 

The  men  were  eating  their  breakfasts  and  talking 
together  with  lowered  brow  and  gloomy  faces. 

"  What  are  we  to  do,  Burgwan?  "'  asked  Karasch, 
coming  over  to  me  presently. 


54  THE    QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  There  will  be  no  work  to-day.  I  shall  remain  in 
camp." 

"Who  is  to  fetch  Andreas?"  This  was  the  man 
who  had  ridden  with  him  on  the  previous  night  and 
lay  out  on  the  hills. 

"  I  can't  spare  the  horse,  now  we  have  only  one. 
One  of  you  must  take  food  to  him  on  foot,  and  try 
to  hire  or  buy  some  horses  in  place  of  the  dead  ones." 

"  It  will  not  do,"  he  said,  lowering  his  voice.  "  I 
cannot  walk  so  far;  and  you  can't  trust  the  others." 

"  I  can  trust  Gartski." 

"  Not  after  this  morning's  business  with  the  witch- 
killed  beasts." 

"  Don't  talk  such  nonsense,  Karasch.  I  proved  to 
you  that  that  treacherous  devil  over  there  stabbed 
them  to  prevent  us  getting  away." 

"  He  has  explained  that.  He  had  a  vision  and 
remembers  it  now.  She  stood  over  him  with  a  flam- 
ing sword,  just  as  she  appeared  to  me,  and  compelled 
him  to  do  it." 

"  How  a  man  of  your  shrewdness  can  believe  such 
rot  passes  my  understanding,  Karasch.  You  might 
be  a  great  baby  if  I  didn't  know  you  were  a  brave  and 
clever  man."  But  flattery  was  of  no  more  use  than 
reproaches. 

"  You  don't  understand  these  things,  Burgwan. 
We  do.  You  see  with  her  eyes;  we  use  our  own." 
The  dogged  manner  and  tone  alike  showed  that  he 
spoke  with  dead  conviction. 

"  Then  the  best  thing  will  be  for  the  lot  of  you  to 
clear  out,"  I  exclaimed  testily. 

"  You  can't  be  left  alone  in  her  power.     I  shall 


A    CONTEST   IN    WILL   POWER  55 

stay  with  you  to  the  end.  You  gave  me  my  life  when 
I  had  lost  it  fairly,  and  I'll  save  yours  in  return." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  I  asked  sharply,  as  a  glint 
of  his  intention  shot  into  my  thoughts.  Instead  of 
meeting  my  eyes  as  usual,  he  looked  down  and 
shuffled  uneasily. 

"  The  spell  must  be  broken  and  then  you'll  see  the 
truth  and — and  no  harm  may  come  to  you  after  all." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  Speak  out,  Karasch,  and 
meet  my  eyes  openly  like  a  man,  as  you  usually  do." 

But  this  he  would  not  or  could  not  do. 

"  There  is  only  one  way,"  he  said  doggedly.  "  And 
it  must  come  to  that  in  the  end.  We  have  talked  it 
over.  Your  life  must  be  saved." 

"  I  should  have  thought  you  all  knew  by  this  time 
that  I  can  take  pretty  good  care  of  that  for  myself." 

"  There  is  only  one  way,"  he  repeated  in  the  same 
dogged  tone. 

"And  what  is  that  way?  Out  with  it,  man,  in 
plain  terms." 

"  She  must  die,  Burgwan,  or  you  will." 

I  thought  a  moment,  and  then  saw  a  different  line 
and  promptly  adopted  it. 

"  You  are  too  late,  Karasch."  I  said,  as  gravely 
and  solemnly  as  I  could  speak. 

"  No,  there  is  always  time  within  the  same  moon." 

"  No ;  she  has  rendered  me  proof  against  any  knife 
or  bullet  for  three  days  on  condition  that  I  defend 
her.  And  I've  sworn  that  I  will  die  before  anyone 
shall  harm  her." 

It  was  a  beautiful  bluff.      He  started    back  and 


56  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

looked  at  me  in  manifest  horror  and  crossed  himself 
as  he  muttered  a  prayer. 

"  Don't  do  that,  you  hurt  me,  Karasch,"  I  said, 
pretending  to  shudder. 

"  Great  God  of  all.  And  you  a  Christian,  Burg- 
wan." 

His  agitation  was  almost  piteous.  He  turned 
deathly  pale  and  beads  of  perspiration  stood  on  his 
forehead,  as  he  stared  at  me  horror-struck.  "  And 
I  have  sworn  to  save  you."  It  was  just  a  whisper  of 
dismay  and  helplessness,  and  it  showed  the  struggle 
which  was  raging  between  his  superstition  and  his 
fealty  to  me. 

"  I'll  release  you  from  your  oath  to  me,  if  you 
wish;  and  you  and  the  rest  can  leave  as  soon  as  you 
like." 

"  No,  by  God,  no;  not  if  I'm  damned  forever,"  he 
cried.  "  I'll  stand  by  you,  Burgwan,  mad  blind  fool 
though  you've  been.  Curse  the  witch  and  all  her 
infernal  arts ;  "  and  he  was  at  it  again  with  his  vehe- 
ment crossing  and  spitting  and  prayers. 

His  devotion  moved  me  deeply.  I  knew  how  much 
the  effort  must  cost  him.  He  believed  that  he  was 
jeopardising  not  his  life  only,  that  he  was  always 
ready  to  risk,  but  his  very  soul  as  well.  Rough, 
coarse,  crude,  ignorant,  half  civilised  boor  that  he 
was,  he  had  shown  a  fidelity  to  me  such  as  I  had 
never  witnessed  before.  He  should  have  a  reward; 
and  it  should  be  rich  enough  to  surprise  him  if  ever 
we  got  out  of  this  mess;  but  I  could  say  nothing  of 
it  to  him  then.  He  would  have  laughed  to  scorn  the 


A    CONTEST   IN    WILL   POWER  57 

promise  of  money  in  such  a  case.  I  accepted  his 
sacrifice  therefore  without  another  word. 

"What  shall  we  do  about  Andreas?"  I  asked. 
"  Gartski  and  Petrov  had  better  go  out  to  him." 

"  No.  If  they  go,  it  will  be  only  to  find  help  and 
bring  others  back  here  to  do  what  you  say  must  not 
be  done.  Andreas  must  take  his  chance." 

"  You  must  go  somewhere  then,  and  find  us 
horses." 

"  If  I  take  my  eyes  off  those  two  they'll  run  away. 
1  must  stay  to  watch  them." 

"  But  we  must  have  horses  and  at  once,"  I  urged. 

"  Tell  her  to  send  some  here.  She  can  if  she 
chooses."  His  belief  in  her  supernatural  powers  was 
complete;  but  that  time  it  served  to  turn  the  tables 
with  a  vengeance.  I  had  no  answer. 

"  It  must  be  as  you  say.  I'll  ask  her ;  "  and  with 
that  I  left  the  tent,  wishing  that  the  miraculous 
supply  of  horses  were  as  easy  of  accomplishment  as 
K.arasch  believed. 

There  was  one  that  I  could  have,  however,  and  I 
deemed  it  best  to  make  sure  that  neither  Gartski  nor 
Petrov  should  have  the  chance  of  stealing  it.  So  I 
led  it  over  to  the  cottage  to  tether  it  close  at  hand, 
carrying  the  saddle  with  me. 

Hearing  me,  the  girl  came  out. 

"  You  have  horses,  then  ?  "  she  asked,  in  a  tone  of 
satisfaction. 

"  I  have  this  one,  that's  all ; "  and  I  fastened  it  up 
to  a  tree  close  by  the  hut. 

"  You  are  looking  very  serious,  Burgwan.  Has 
anything  more  happened  ?  " 


58 

"  A  little  misunderstanding-  with  the  men.  Noth- 
ing more  serious  than  I've  had  before.  Have  you 
breakfasted  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  have  yours  here;  "  and  she  brought  out 
to  me  coffee  and  a  steaming  dish  of  food  which  she 
had  prepared  for  me  with  her  own  dainty  hands.  She 
might  have  been  a  witch,  indeed,  for  the  cleverness 
with  which  she  had  concocted  a  savoury  meal  from 
the  rough  fare  at  her  disposal. 

I  was  very  hungry,  and  while  I  ate  it  with  thank- 
fulness and  relish  she  fed  Chris. 

"  The  dog  takes  to  you,  readily,"  I  said. 

"  Yes.  Good  Chris,"  and  he  wagged  his  tail  and 
looked  up  at  her.  "  He  is  another  mystery,  Burg- 
wan — like  that  watch ;  "  and  she  smiled. 

"Yes;  and  in  his  way  quite  as  reliable." 

"  It  is  not  a  breed  often  found — in  the  hills." 

She  was  fishing,  but  I  would  not  see  the  bait,  and 
answered  with  a  monosyllable. 

"  He  is  very  fond  of  you,"  she  said. 

"  He  knows  me  and  trusts  me,  I  think." 

"  Is  that  a  reproach  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  reproach  you.  You  don't 
know  me  yet." 

"  There  are  many  things  I  don't  know  yet.  For 
one,  how  I  got  here  to  this  hut?  " 

I  smiled.     "  I  carried  you,"  I  answered. 

"  You  dared?  "  A  quick  impulsive  rebuke  in  the 
question. 

"  I  didn't  dare  to  leave  you  lying  out  there  in  the 
road  when  that  storm  was  coming  up." 


A    CONTEST   IN    WILL   POWER  59 

"  You  had  no  right,"  she  cried,  and  went  back  into 
the  hut. 

Chris  looked  up  as  she  went  and  ran  to  the  door 
after  her;  but  returned  and  finished  his  breakfast,  and 
then  went  in  to  her. 

I  had  finished  mine  then,  and  sat  thinking  over  the 
position  of  things  when  she  came  out. 

"  I  was  wrong  to  be  angry,  Burgwan.  Of  course, 
there  was  nothing  else  for  you  to  do." 

"  I  couldn't  think  of  anything,  at  any  rate." 

"  I  ought  not  to  have  been  so  childish  as  to  faint," 
she  said,  with  a  smile  and  a  shrug.  Then  she  picked 
my  cup  and  platter.  "  Where  can  I  get  water  to 
wash  these  ?  " 

"  You  needn't  bother  about  that.  It's  not  fit  work 
for  you." 

"  But  I  wish  to,"  she  cried,  with  a  little  stamp  of 
the  foot. 

"  There  is  a  spring  close  here,  then,"  I  replied;  and 
taking  a  pannikin  I  fetched  the  water  and  sat  down 
again  and  went  on  with  my  thinking. 

"  Can  we  start  now,  Burgwan  ?  "  she  asked.  "  I 
wish  to  reach  the  railway  that  will  carry  me  to  Bel- 
grade." 

"  That  means  thirty  miles  through  a  country 
where  I  don't  know  a  yard  of  the  road ;  "  and  I 
shook  my  head. 

"  You  always  raise  difficulties." 

"No;  I  don't  raise  them,  I  see  them.  That's  all. 
I  wish  I  didn't.  It  may  come  to  it  at  the  last — but 
we  had  better  wait  for  the  guide.  He  ought  to  be 
here  soon  now." 


60  THE    QUEEN'S   "ADVOCATE 

"  Don't  the  men  know  the  road  ?  " 

"  We  had  better  wait  for  the  guide." 

"  Are  not  you  the  leader  here  ?  " 

"  In  a  way,  yes;  but  not  in  such  a  matter.  I  am 
thinking  all  I  know  to  find  the  best  thing  to  do." 

"  But  suppose  the  others  should  come  first  before 
this  guide,  what  then  ?  " 

"What  others?'" 

"  The  rest  of  the  men  who  were  taking  me  to 
Maglai." 

"  Oh,  you  were  going  to  Maglai.  How  many 
were  there?  " 

"  Six.    Four  beside  the  two  you  captured." 

"  How  far  from  here  were  you  when  you  escaped  ?" 
I  noticed  that  she  no  longer  resented  my  questions  as 
on  the  previous  night. 

"  I  don't  know.  It  was  about  noon,  and  they 
called  a  halt;  and  having  fed  and  drunk  they  lay  down 
and  slept,  leaving  one  to  watch.  But  he  fell  asleep, 
too,  with  the  heat,  and  I  stole  off.  I  rode  fast  for 
some  hours,  and  then  was  going  slowly,  thinking  I 
was  safe  from  pursuit,  when  suddenly  the  two  ap- 
peared in  the  distance  and  chased  me.  I  let  my 
horse  go  where  it  would,  and  it  carried  me  here." 

"  You  had  been  riding  about  seven  hours  or  so, 
then.  That  means  fourteen  at  least,  without  the 
delay  of  the  storm ;  and  then  he'd  have  to  chance  find- 
ing them." 

"  Whom  do  you  mean  by  *  he  '  ?  " 

I  had  been  calculating  roughly  how  long  it  would 
take  the  man  Karasch  had  set  free  to  reach  his  friends 
and  return  with  them,  and  unwittingly  had  spoken 


A    CONTEST   IN    WILL   POWER  61 

the  thought  aloud.  I  pretended  not  to  hear  her 
question. 

"  You  don't  know  whether  all  the  men  rode  after 
you  on  the  same  road,  or  spread  out  in  different 
directions?"  I  asked. 

She  made  no  reply,  and  when  I  glanced  up  I  met 
her  eyes  bent  earnestly  upon  me. 

"  You  are  concealing  something  from  me.  You 
heard  my  question,  I  know,  for  I  saw  you  start." 

With  the  curious  feeling  that  I  was  at  a  disad- 
vantage sitting  down  below  her,  I  stood  up. 

"  You  *iad  better  leave  the  run  of  this  thing  to  me. 
I  won't  ask  any  more  questions  than  I  am  compelled; 
and  if  they  bother  you,  you  can  turn  a  deaf  ear  to 
them,  as  I  do  when  I  don't  want  to  hear  yours." 

Signs  of  rebellion  flashed  from  her  eyes,  and  she 
made  ready  to  give  battle.  She  held  her  head  high 
and  squared  'her  shapely  shoulders. 

"  I  won't  be  dictated  to  like  that,  and  I  won't 
remain  here  on  any  such  terms." 

"  I  am  not  dictating;  I'm  talking  common  sense." 

"  I  won't  submit  to  it;  I  will  not."  And  she 
stamped  her  foot.  "  I  will  have  an  answer  to  my 
question.  I  won't  have  things  hidden  from  me. 
Why  won't  you  answer  it?  " 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  I  had  my  deaf  ear  to  it?  " 

"  How  dare  you  try  to  pass  it  off  with  a  flippant 
jest  like  that?  Who  are  you  to  presume  to  insult 
me?" 

"Do  you  really  think  I  wish  to  insult  you?"  I 
asked,  very  quietly. 

"  What  you  wish  to  do  I  neither  know  nor  care. 


62 

But  it  is  an  insult,  as  even  the  commonest  instinct  of 
courtesy  would  tell  you." 

"  We  rough  men  of  the  hills  haven't  much  to  do 
with  courtesy." 

"  You  are  not  of  the  hills,  you  know  that.  You 
told  me  you  were  no  peasant.  Do  you  suppose  I 
can't  see  that  for  myself?"  I  made  no  reply,  and 
after  a  pause  she  added,  "  I  know  why  it  is  you  will 
not  answer  me.  You  think  I  must  be  a  coward  be- 
cause I  am  a  woman." 

"  Is  that  another  of  the  commonest  instincts  of 
courtesy — the  average  man's  courtesy,  I  mean?"  I 
said  this  with  the  deliberate  intention  of  irritating 
her  to  keep  her  away  from  the  matter.  But  she  saw 
my  purpose  instantly. 

"  Will  you  answer  that  question  of  mine?  " 

"  Let  me  finish  first  with  mine,  and  then  you  ask 
what  you  will." 

She  paused  to  think,  and  then  nodded  as  if  in 
answer  to  her  thoughts. 

"  I  am  not  a  coward  to  be  frightened  by  bad  news, 
and  I  have  already  guessed  the  answer  to  it." 

"  Then  there  can  be  no  need  for  me  to  tell  it  you," 
I  said. 

She  waited  again,  and  then  looking  at  me  fixedly 
said,  with  an  air  of  deliberate  decision :  "  If  you  do 
not  tell  me,  I  will  not  remain  here  another  minute." 

This  was  a  challenge  to  a  trial  of  wills;  and  I  took 
it  up  at  once. 

;<  You  are  not  a  prisoner,"  I  said,  and  stepped  aside 
ostentatiously  as  if  to  leave  the  way  free  for  her. 

"  Can  I  have  that  horse  there?  " 


A    CONTEST   IN    WILL   POWER  63 

"  I'll  saddle  him  for  you.  I  can  lead  him  down  to 
the  ravine  to  where  your  horse  lies,  and  get  your  side- 
saddle." 

"  Which  road  do  I  take  to  get  to  the  railway?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  can  give  you  a  map  and  a 
compass." 

"  Get  them,  please."  She  had  plenty  of  will,  that 
was  certain;  but  I  couldn't  afford  to  let  her  bluff  me. 
I  went  into  the  cottage  and  rummaged  about  till  I 
found  the  compass  and  the  map,  and  then  added  a 
touch  of  realism.  I  took  a  spare  revolver  and  loaded 
it,  and  held  it  out  to  her  with  some  extra  ammuni- 
tion. 

"  You  had  better  take  these  as  well."  She  took1 
them  and  then  drove  in  the  spur  in  her  turn,  by  say- 
ing in  her  haughtiest  manner : 

"  You  shall  be  paid  for  them,  Burgwan." 

"  You  can  give  the  value  of  them  to  a  c'harity  in 
Belgrade,"  I  answered.  We  were  both  angry  now. 
"  Are  you  ready  ?  " 

She  was  pinning  her  hat,  and  when  I  saw  that  her 
fingers  trembled,  I  had  hard  work  to  persist.  But  I 
held  on. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  after  a  moment. 

We  went  out  and  I  untethered  the  horse,  and  with 
Chris  in  close  attendance,  we  walked  without  speak- 
ing to  the  mouth  of  the  ravine,  close  to  where  her 
horse  still  lay. 

"  Will  you  hold  him,  while  I  get  the  side-saddle  ?  " 
Our  eyes  met  for  a  moment,  and  I  saw  that  at  last 
she  was  convinced  I  was  in  earnest. 

I  turned   away,  feeling  bad,  and   unbuckled    the 


64  THE   QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

girths  from  the  dead  animal,  and  then  saddled  the 
one  she  was  to  ride.  I  took  plenty  of  time  over  the 
work,  too,  hoping  she  would  see  the  madness  of  what 
she  proposed  to  do  and  give  in.  But  she  shewed  no 
sign  of  doing  anything  of  the  sort;  and  at  last  the 
work  was  done. 

"  All  is  ready,"  I  said,  giving  a  last  look  at  the 
bridle.  "  Can  you  mount  by  yourself,  or  shall  I  help 
you?" 

She  made  no  answer,  but  stood  with  her  head  half 
averted,  looking  away  down  the  steep  mountain  road. 
She  was  biting  her  lips  strenuously,  and  the  fingers 
which  held  up  her  skirt  were  tightly,  almost  fiercely, 
clenched.  Eloquent  little  proofs  of  the  struggle  that 
was  raging  between  pride  and  prudence.  But  I  held 
my  tongue  and  just  waited. 

Then  she  turned  to  me.  She  was  very  pale,  but 
her  eyes  were  flashing. 

"  I  thought  you  were  a  man,"  she  cried,  between 
her  set  lips.  I  met  her  look  steadily  without  a  word. 
And  we  stood  so  for  the  space  of  some  seconds; 
her  face  the  embodiment  of  hot  passionate  con- 
temptuousness;  mine  as  impassive  as  a  stone.  "  And 
what  a  coward  you  are !  " 

I  stood  as  though  my  ears  were  indeed  deaf. 

She  still  hesitated;  and  the  woman  who  hesitates 
can  be  saved  as  well  as  lost. 

Then  came  the  last  effort  of  her  pride. 

"  Lead  the  horse  to  that  stone.  I  will  not  soil 
myself  by  letting  you  help  me." 

I  led  him  where  she  pointed;  and  she  mounted  with 
the  ease  of  a  practised  horsewoman.  She  even  gath- 


A    CONTEST   IN    WILL   POWER  65 

ered  up  the  reins  and  settled  herself  in  the  saddle; 
and  then  waited  to  look  almost  yearningly  for  some 
sign  from  me.  I  gave  none,  but  held  the  bridle  as  if 
T  had  been  her  groom. 

Chris  stood  looking  from  one  to  the  other  of  us 
as  if  in  deep  perplexity. 

"  Will  you  take  the  dog?  "  I  asked. 

Then  came  the  end. 

"  Do  you  mean  me  to  go?  "  It  was  all  I  had  been 
waiting  for. 

"No,  not  now,"  I  answered  at  once;  "since  you 
see  the  folly  of  it." 

"How  dare  you?  I  WILL  go  now;"  and  she 
gripped  the  reins  tightly  and  touched  the  horse  with 
her  heel.  But  he  hadn't  much  fire  in  him,  and 
obeyed  my  hand  on  the  bridle  instead  of  her  heel. 
I  held  him  with  my  left  hand  and  stretched  out  the 
other  toward  her. 

"  Come;  you  had  better  dismount.  This  folly  has 
gone  far  enough ;  "  and  I  put  as  much  command  and 
authority  as  possible  into  my  tone. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  look  she  gave  me,  nor  my 
surprise  when  a  second  later  she  put  her  hand  into 
mine  and  slipped  off  the  saddle.  The  rush  of  relief 
was  too  great  for  her  to  simulate  further  anger. 

"  How  hard  you  can  be.  I  though  you  meant  it," 
she  murmured. 

"  You  shouldn't  try  us  both  in  this  way,"  I  said. 
"  I  had  to  show  you  that  my  will  is  stronger  than 
yours;  and  'you  made  the  lesson  hard." 

"  Would  you  have  let  me  go?  "  she  asked. 

"  No,  certainly  not." 


66 

"  Oh,  I  wish  I  had  held  out,"  she  exclaimed,  vehe- 
mently. 

I  smiled. 

"We  call  it  bluff  in  the  States;  and  I  am  an  older 
hand  at  it  than  you.  That's  all." 

"The  States?"  she  asked  quickly.  "What 
States?" 

"  United  States.  I  am  an  American,  you  see,  nat- 
uralised, that  is;  I'm  English  by  birth." 

"American?  English?  But  I  thought  .  .  ." 
Face,  eyes,  everything  eloquent  of  questioning  sur- 
prise. 

"  Yes,  I  know.  You  thought  all  sorts  of  things 
except  the  right  one.  But  anyway,  I'm  not  quite 
the  coward  you  thought  just  now.' 

"  Don't." 

"  No,  I  won't  again.  Come,  let  us  get  back  to  the 
cottage.  We  haven't  lost  after  all  by  this — we  have 
the  side-saddle." 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think  or  say,"  she  cried,  in 
dismay. 

"  I  can  understand  your  purpose.  But  let  us  get 
back,  please ; "  and  with  that  we  went,  I  leading  the 
horse  as  before  and  she  walking  by  my  side,  Chris 
keeping  close  to  her  as  though  in  some  way  he  under- 
stood everything. 

Again  it  was  a  silent  walk  at  first;  but  this  time 
the  motives  for  silence  were  very  different. 


* 

, 


"I   REALLY   BELIEVE  THE   BARONESS  THINKS  YOU   ARE  A 
PEASANT   IN  DISGUISE." 


CHAPTER  V. 

UNWELCOME    VISITORS. 

That  contest  of  wills,  followed  by  my  avowal  that 
I  was  an  American,  marked  another  very  distinct  ad- 
vance toward  a  better  understanding  between  us. 
My  companion's  interest  was  stimulated  and  her 
curiosity  piqued;  and  our  relationship  was  at  once 
placed  upon  a  footing  of  personal  equality.  She 
made  'that  plain — intentionally,  I  think — her  mo- 
mentary chagrin  at  defeat  in  the  trial  of  strength  be- 
tween us  overshadowed  completely  by  her  sense  of 
relief  and  reassurance. 

Chris  was  a  great  help  to  us  just  then.  He  seemed 
to  have  settled  it  in  his  thoughts  there  had  been 
trouble  which  was  now  put  right,  and  he  stalked 
along  by  her  side,  thrusting  his  great  nose  into  her 
hand,  nestling  his  head  against  her,  and  giving  many 
signs  of  his  satisfaction.  She  caressed  him  gently, 
and  presently,  with  a  half  glance  at  me,  she  said,  as 
if  to  him : 

"  And  are  you  American,  too,  Chris  ?  And  is  your 
name  really  Chris?" 

"  He's  American  born,  not  like  his  master,  and  his 
name  is  really  Chris,"  I  replied. 

"  And  have  you  a  strong  temper,  too,  Chris?  " 

"Like  master  like  dog.     He.  can  show  his  teeth 


68  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

at  need,','  I  said  with  a  smile.  "  But  he  can  be  a 
staunch  friend — to  those  who  trust  him." 

"  Does  he  show  them  to  women?  "  she  asked,  turn- 
ing to  flash  her  eyes  upon  me. 

"Is  that  quite  fair?" 

"  You  can  show  yours,"  she  said,  shrugging  her 
shoulders. 

"  I've  seen  him  hold  a  man  up  with  a  growl  when 
I  knew  he  didn't  mean  to  bite.  Just  as  a  lesson,  you 
know." 

"  I  would  trust  my  hand  between  HIS  teeth,"  she 
answered,  as  she  thrust  her  fingers  into  his  great 
mouth.  The  rascal  mouthed  them,  and  fawned  upon 
her  and  looked  up  in  her  face. 

"  Ah,  he's  kissing  it — to  congratulate  you  on  hav- 
ing made  peace,"  I  said  drily;  and  she  drew  her  hand 
away  so  heartily  that  for  a  moment  I  feared  I  had 
offended  her.  But  I  'had  not. 

"  Does  HE  understand  what  you  call '  bluff  '  ?  "  was 
her  next  question,  after  a  pause. 

"  He's  very  much  like  me  in  many  ways." 

"  I  can  believe  that.  He  is  so  silent  about  him- 
self." 

"  Like  us  both  in  that,  perhaps,  isn't  he?  " 

"  Is  that  a  reproach  or  a  question?  "  she  retorted, 
and  added,  seriously,  "  I  cannot  tell  you  about  my- 
self; but  you  shall  know  some  day." 

"  I  am  not  asking.  We'll  leave  it  unsaid  on  both 
sides,  shall  we — at  any  rate  for  the  present — ana 
just  take  each  other  on  trust?  " 

"  As  you  will.  I  have  learnt  my  lesson  and  shall 
not  question  you."  The  reply  was  given  with  a  mix- 


UNWELCOME    VISITORS  69 

ture  of  irony,  rebellion,  and  assumed  submissiveness 
in  manner  and  tone. 

"  I  am  glad  to  find  you  so  ready  a  pupil.  Chris 
there  could  tell  you  that  where  there's  a  toughish  job 
to  handle  he  finds  it  best  to  let  me  go  my  own  way." 
We  had  reached  the  cottage,  and  she  was  entering 
the  door  as  I  said  this.  She  turned  quickly,  and 
threw  up  her  head. 

"You  expect  a  dog's  obedience,  then?" 

"  From  Chris,  yes,"  and  I  smiled. 

"  From  me,  I  mean.     You  know  I  mean  that." 

"  From  you  I  ask  nothing  except  to  do  what  your 
judgment  prompts,  tempered  perhaps  by  your  trust 
in — in  Chris." 

"  In  Chris's  master,  you  mean.  Why  don't  you 
say  it?" 

"  Old  Chris  would  do  nothing  I  didn't  approve;  so 
it's  about  the  same  thing,"  I  answered,  and  led  the 
horse  away,  tethered  him,  and  having  loosened  the 
girths  gave  him  a  feed,  and  fetched  him  some  water 
from  the  spring.  When  I  returned  with  it  she  was 
standing  by  the  house. 

"Can  I  help  you?" 

"  Not  in  this,  thank  you." 

"  In  what,  then  ?     I  have  nothing  to  do." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can't  find  you  anything." 

"  Don't  you  do  any  work  in  the  camp,  then  ?  " 

"  Not  to-day.     You  see  it's  a  kind  of  holiday." 

"Why?" 

"  The  work  here  is  finished.  I'm  getting  ready  to 
leave.  As  soon  as  Georgev — that's  the  guide,  you 
know — gets  back,  I  shall  be  off." 


70  THE    QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

"  I  suppose  I  am  not  to  ask  what  the  work  was?  " 
She  asked  this  with  a  smile  and  a  shrug,  contriving 
to  convey  the  impression  that  while  she  was  impa- 
tiently curious  the  question  had  behind  it  no  vestige 
of  distrust. 

"  I  did  not  intend  to  tell  you,  but  if  you  wish  it  I 
will.  This  is  a  prospecting  expedition.  I've  been 
looking  to  see  if  any  mines  could  be  opened  here. 
Of  course,  it's  a  sort  of  secret,  you  know." 

"Oh,  you're  hoping  to  make  money  here?"  and 
the  glance  she  gave  at  my  clothes  told  me  her 
thought.  "  You  are  an  engineer?  " 

"  No,  I  am  a  prospector.  I  have  done  it  before  in 
the  States." 

"  I  hope  you  will  be  successful.  But  I  am  sure 
you  will.  You  are  the  kind  of  man  that  does  suc- 
ceed ;  so  masterful,  I  mean."  We  both  smiled  at  the 
word.  "  Yes,"  she  added,  as  if  in  answer  to  my 
thought;  "  I  am  judging  by  what  has  just  occurred, 
for  one  thing." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  seem  a  bit  of  a  brute." 

"  I  don't  think  so.  I — I  was  very  angry  when  I 
said  what  I  did.  I — I  didn't  mean  it;  and  I'm — I'm 
sorry." 

"  I'm  not.  I  know  you  don't  think  it  now;  but 
you  meant  it  then;  and  it  was  just  what  anyone  else 
would  have  meant  and  said.  It  helped  us  to  under- 
stand things  better.  That's  all.  I  was  very  much 
afraid  you  meant  to  ride  off  alone,  and  then  .  .  . 
well,  I  don't  know  about  then." 

"  I  wish  I  had  known  your  thoughts,"  she  said, 
with  a  sort  of  half  mischievous  regret. 


UNWELCOME    VISITORS  Ji 

"  You  mean  you  would  have  outplayed  me?" 

She  nodded  and  smiled,  "  Yes." 

"  Well,  please  don't  try  it  again.  It  might  be  very 
dangerous  play." 

"  I  won't,  I  promise  you,"  she  said  readily,  under- 
standing from  my  serious  tone  that  I  was  very  much 
in  earnest.  "  When  you  use  that  tone  I  have  no 
rebellion  left  in  me.  I  am  like  Chris,  I  suppose,  in 
that." 

Chris  himself  interrupted  us  then  by  growling,  and 
looking  round  I  saw  Karasch  coming  from  the  tent. 

"  Chris  hates  Karasch,"  I  told  her.  "  The  man 
struck  him  once  savagely,  and  I  had  all  my  work  to 
keep  the  dog  from  his  throat.  He  never  forgets. 
You  can  see  now  that  every  hair  on  his  neck  is  bristl- 
ing with  anger;  and  Karasch  won't  come  near  him." 

"  He  is  a  fierce  looking  man,"  she  said. 

"  But  he  will  serve  me  now,  faithfully,  and  Chris 
must  make  friends  with  him.  Will  you  go  into  the 
hut  a  moment?  Come,  Chris,"  and  as  she  went  away 
I  led  the  dog  to  Karasch  and  made  him  understand 
that  he  was  to  regard  the  man  as  a  friend.  It  was 
not  easy,  for  Karasch  himself  was  afraid;  but  I  stood 
by  while  he  patted  the  dog's  head,  and  I  made  Chris 
lick  his  hand.  Then  I  sent  him  back  to  the  hut. 

"  Now,  Karasch,  what  is  it?  "  I  asked. 

"  The  devil  is  it,  Burgwan.  I  slept  and  Petrov  has 
gone." 

It  was  ugly  news,  and  made  me  grave. 

"  So  you  couldn't  even  keep  watch,  for  all  your 
big  words,"  I  said  angrily. 

"  It  has  never  chanced  so  before,"  he  replied  sul- 


72  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

lenly;  and  his  glance  across  toward  the  cottage  told 
me  the  thought  behind  the  words. 

"  If  you  were  to  cut  your  finger  I  suppose  you'd 
set  it  down  to  the  same  cause  just  now.  You  have 
served  me  an  ill  turn.  You  can  send  Gartski  to  find 
him,  the  sooner  the  better." 

"  You  are  mad,  Burgwan." 

"  Mad  to  have  trusted  to  your  keeping  awake,  per- 
haps. Not  in  this.  If  one  has  got  away,  where's 
the  use  of  keeping  the  other?  When  we  had  both 
safe,  it  was  well;  but  two  can  do  no  more  harm  than 
one  away;  and  we  needn't  be  bothered  by  keeping 
watch  over  a  traitor.  I'll  speak  to  him." 

"  Come  here,  Gartski."  He  rose  sheepishly  and 
crossed  to  me.  "  How  long  has  Petrov  been  gone, 
and  where  has  he  gone?  " 

"  I  was  asleep,  and  know  nothing,"  he  lied  glibly. 

'  Yesterday,  when  the  trouble  was  here,  you  took 
my  side;  now  you  are  against  me,  and  want  to  go." 

"  I  am  not  against  you,"  he  began,  with  much 
gesticulation. 

"  Don't  lie.  I  have  means  of  knowing  everything 
in  your  thoughts." 

He  shrank  back  a  pace  and  trembled,  and  crossed 
himself. 

''  You  know  what  I  mean,  I  see,"  I  said.  It  was 
no  good  to  have  a  reputation  for  witchcraft  and  not 
make  use  of  it.  "  If  you  lie  to  me  now,"  I  went  on, 
looking  into  his  eyes  with  as  fierce  an  expression  as 
I  could  assume,  "  you  will  not  outlive  the  present 
moon.  Tell  the  truth,  and  no  harm  will  come  to 
you."  Glancing  at  my  hand  I  saw  I  had  broken  the 


UNWELCOME    VISITORS  73 

skin  in  tending  the  horse,  and  I  smeared  a  little  circle 
of  blood  on  the  tent  post  close  by.  "  If  that  dries  be- 
fore you  speak,  it  will  be  too  late,  Gartski,"  I  said, 
solemnly. 

It  seemed  to  be  a  very  reliable  card  to  play,  this 
superstition  of  theirs.  He  looked  at  the  little  circle 
in  horror,  his  face  went  ashen  white  and  he  trembled 
violently. 

"We  meant  nothing  against  you,  Burgwan;  only 
against  the  witch,"  he  mumbled. 

"  It  is  drying  fast,  Gartski.     Beware." 

"  Petrov  has  gone  to  get  help  to  deal  with  her." 

"  To  murder  her,  you  mean?  " 

"  It  is  no  murder.  To  kill  her  for  your  sake,  I 
swear." 

"  Where  has  he  gone?  " 

"  To  the  priest  at  Lalwor — the  hill  village." 

"  How  far  is  that,  and  in  which  direction?  " 

"  Four  leagues  up  the  hills  to  the  south." 

"  How  long  has  he  been  gone?  " 

"  Less  than  an  hour." 

"  Come;  "  and  I  put  my  hand  on  his  shoulders,  and 
led  him  out  of  the  tent.  "  I  have  no  use  for  spies 
and  traitors  here.  You  can  go  after  him.  Get  away, 
or  I'll  set  the  dog  on  you ; "  and  with  that  I  shoved 
him  from  me — with  a  parting  kick  to  which  the  rage 
I  felt  gave  additional  force.  He  limped  a  few  paces 
and  then  turned  and  looked  back  at  me.  "  Go,"  I 
thundered,  making  a  step  toward  him,  and  then  he 
ran  in  a  limping  fashion  comical  enough  to  have 
drawn  a  smile  had  the  position  been  less  grave. 

I  had  frightened  enough  of  the  truth  out  of  him 


74  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

to  show  me  that  no  ill  results  could  follow  for  a  few 
hours.  It  would  take  Petrov  some  three  hours  to 
reach  the  hill  village;  some  time  would  be  needed  to 
get  together  a  posse,  and  I  felt  that  I  might  safely 
wait  an  hour  or  two  longer  in  the  hope  that  Georgev 
would  arrive. 

But  it  was  clear  now  that  we  might  have  to  start 
before  he  arrived,  so  I  questioned  Karasch  as  to  his 
knowledge  of  the  country  which  we  should  have  to 
cross.  Somewhat  to  my  dismay  he  declared  he  knew 
nothing  of  it. 

I  returned  to  the  hut  then  and  found  the  "  witch  " 
studying  the  map. 

"  I  was  going  to  ask  you  for  that,"  I  said. 

"  Can  we  start  ?  " 

"  Not  yet;  I  am  still  waiting  for  the  guide  and  the 
horses  he  may  have  with  him;  but  I  want  to  make 
out  our  way." 

Instead  of  giving  it  to  me  she  clasped  her  hands 
over  it  as  it  lay  on  her  lap. 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  a  favour."  Things  were 
changing  indeed. 

"Well?" 

"  Won't  you  tell  me  what  all  this  means  ?  You 
have  had  more  words  with  your  men.  I  know  it  is 
about  me.  Won't  you  tell  me?" 

"They  are  a  set  of  fools;  and  they  are  all  gone 
now,  except  the  big  fellow,  Karasch,  whose  arm  is 
hurt — broken,  in  fact." 

"  Of  course,  it  is  on  my  account,  and,  of  course, 
also  it  means  danger  of  some  kind.  I  am  not  afraid 


UNWELCOME    VISITORS  75 

to  know  it  with — with  Chris  and — and  you  to  protect 
me." 

"  I  have  quarrelled  with  the  men — have  just  kicked 
one  of  them  out  of  the  camp,  in  fact.  That's  all." 

She  sighed  and  lifted  her  hands. 

"  Can't  you  see  that  this  uncertainty  is  worse  to 
bear  than  any  knowledge  could  be,  however  bad?" 
She  was  strangely  gentle  now. 

"  You  needn't  exaggerate  things  because  you 
don't  know  them." 

"  Here  is  the  map.  You  try  me  very  much.  Tell 
me,  please,"  she  urged  as  I  took  the  map.  I  fingered 
it  thoughtfully. 

"  You  must  not  frighten  yourself." 

"  I  am  not  frightened — except  that  I  think  there 
must  be  some  terrifying  news  you  keep  back,  fearing 
to  frighten  me.  You  put  a  great  strain  on  my 
nerves." 

"  I  had  not  thought  of  that,  and  there  is  no  need 
for  it.  I  will  tell  you  enough  to  show  you  that.  I 
have  had  trouble  with  the  men;  and  it  is  about  you. 
They  are  only  under  me  because  I  hired  them  to  do 
certain  work.  Well,  that  prisoner  whom  I  shot  in 
the  leg  yesterday  got  at  them  with  a  tale  that  you 
were  a  prisoner  of  such  importance  that  a  consider- 
able sum  of  money  was  to  be  paid  for  your  safe  deliv- 
ery at  Maglai;  and  they  had  a  fancy  to  help  in  earn- 
ing it.  We  quarrelled  about  it,  and  they've  left  the 
camp. 

"  Who  do  they  say  I  am?  " 

'They  do  not  know,  and  could  not  tell  me;  of 
course;  and  I  myself  do  not  even  know  how  to  ad- 


76  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

dress  you.  You  must  have  seen  this — whether  ma- 
dame  or  mademoiselle  even?  " 

"  You  put  your  question  adroitly,  Burg-wan.  Are 
you  Burgwan,  really?  But  you  can't  be,  of  course. 
You  are  American." 

"  It  is  the  name  I  have  here ;  and  I  did  not  know 
how  pleasant  a  sound  it  had  until  I  heard  you  speak 
it.  I  would  rather  you  called  me  by  that  name  than 
any  other.  And  you?  " 

She  had  her  hands  in  her  lap  and  kept  her  eyes 
bent  down  as  she  slowly  clasped  and  unclasped  her 
white  fingers.  Then  she  lifted  her  face  and  looked 
at  me  with  a  slow,  hesitating  smile. 

"  You  might  call  me — Barinschja." 

"  That  is  Russian  for  an  unmarried  woman,  isn't 
it?" 

"  Did  you  think  I  was  married?  "  The  smile  in  her 
grey  eyes  was  unmistakably  brighter. 

"  I  did  not  think  you  were  Russian." 

"  I  am  not.     I  am  a  Serb." 

"  Then  what  we  have  to  do  is  to  get  you  to  Bel- 
grade as  soon  as  possible,  Barinschja,"  and  I  turned 
to  the  map. 

"  No.  I  cannot  be  Barinschja  to  you.  I  will  be 
mademoiselle." 

"  I  thank  you."  I  understand  enough  Russian  to 
appreciate  the  difference.  Barinschja  is  from  in- 
ferior to  superior;  mademoiselle  from  equal  to  equal. 
"  Then  it  shall  be  mademoiselle.  Now  for  the  map." 

"  No,  not  yet.  You  have  forgotten  something. 
You  have  spoken  of  the  man  you  wounded  yester- 
day, but  not  of  the  one  you  fought  and  bound.  It  is 


UNWELCOME    VISITORS  77 

he  who  has  gone  free,  isn't  it,  to  fetch  his  com- 
rades? " 

"  Yes,  but  I  did  not  mean  to  tell  you.  How  did 
you  guess  ?  " 

"  From  what  you  said  before  you — before  we" 
fetched  that  side  saddle."  She  smiled  as  she  changed 
the  phrase.  "  When  you  would  not  answer  the  ques- 
tion, which  I  tried  to  force  you  to  answer." 

"  Mademoiselle  is  very  quick-witted." 

"  And  Burgwan  can  be  very  obstinate,"  she  re- 
torted; and  I  smiled  in  my  turn. 

"  The  fellow  was  set  free  by  my  men,  but  I  do  not 
think  he  can  get  back  in  time  to  do  any  harm." 

"  And  why  have  your  men  deserted  you  ?  " 

"  They  were  not  bound  to  remain  with  me." 

"  Then  the  desertion  had  nothing  to  do  with  me?  " 

"  Yes,  I  told  you  we  quarrelled  about  you.  But  I 
wish  to  see  our  course;  will  you  let  me  study  the 
map?" 

'  Yes,  if  you  will  assure  me  that  their  desertion 
bodes  no  danger." 

"  Is  Burgwan  or  Mademoiselle  in  charge  of  things 
here?" 

"Will  Burgwan  answer  Mademoiselle's  question? 
Why  did  those  men  say  there  was  a  price  on  my 
head?" 

"  It  was  all  nonsense,  of  course." 

'*  But  I  wish  to  know.     I  have  a  right  to  know." 

"  They  said  you  had  done  something  or  other,  and 
that  they  were  to  be  paid  handsomely  for  getting 
you  to  Maglai." 

"  Do  you  know  what  they  said?  " 


78  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

''  Yes — that  you  had  committed  some  crime." 

"  Some  crime ! "  she  cried,  in  quite  indignant 
astonishment.  Then  she  laughed  scornfully.  "  Do 
you  believe  it?  " 

"  No.     If  I  did,  it  would  make  no  difference." 

"  A  criminal !  With  a  price  on  my  head !  What 
can  it  mean?  "  This  was  more  to  herself  than  to  me, 
so  I  plunged  into  a  study  of  the  map,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  had  made  out  a  part  of  the  route  we  should 
have  to  go. 

"  I  am  no  criminal,  Burgwan,"  she  said,  breaking 
in  suddenly  on  my  study  of  the  map. 

"  I  didn't  need  to  be  told.  This  is  the  way  we  shall 
have  to  go  at  first ";  and  I  drew  her  attention  to  the 
map. 

While  we  were  examining  it,  Chris  grew  restless, 
and  at  length  got  up  and  stood  sniffing  the  air  and 
the  ground  and  listening. 

"What  is  it,  Chris,  old  dog?  " 

He  came  and  nosed  my  hand  and  then  went  a  few 
yards  off  and  pointing  towards  the  ravine,  growled. 

"  Someone  is  about,"  I  said,  as  I  folded  up  the  map 
and  put  it  in  my  pocket.  "  Will  you  go  into  the  hut, 
Mademoiselle  ?  It  may  be  the  guide  Georgev — or  it 
may  not ;  and  may  mean  trouble  of  some  sort.  Take 
Chris  with  you  and  shut  the  door.  He'll  answer  for 
anyone  who  tries  to  bother  you.  Chris,  inside;  on 
guard,  good  dog." 

He  understood  and  obeyed  at  once,  although  his 
eyes  said  he  would  rather  stay  with  me. 

I  strolled  half  way  to  the.  te.nt  and  called  to  Kar- 
asch,  who  came  out. 


UNWELCOME    VISITORS  79 

"  I  think  someone  is  coming  up  the  ravine,  Kar- 
asch.  It  may  be  Georgev,  or  some  of  the  men  in 
search  of  Mademoiselle  yonder.  You  mean  to  stand 
by  me?" 

"  On  my  oath,  yes.  But  if  they  are  in  search  of 
her,  you'd  better  give  her  to  them,  Burgwan." 

"  Stop  that  fool  talk,  and  leave  everything  to  me; 
and  do  exactly  as  I  tell  you  from  start  to  finish." 

Then  I  heard  the  sound  of  horses'  hoofs,  and  I  lit 
a  cigar  and  sat  down  to  wait  for  the  riders.  There 
were  three  of  them,  and  the  first  glance  showed  me 
Georgev  was  not  among  them.  I  sat  smoking  until 
they  rode  up,  then  I  rose  slowly. 

"  Are  you  the  new  men  hired  by  the  guide, 
Georgev?  "  I  asked. 

"  No,"  answered  one  who  appeared  to  be  the 
leader.  "Is  there  a  man  named  Karasch  here?" 

"  What  do  you  want?  "  I  asked. 

"  An  answer  to  my  question.  And  I  mean  to  have 
it.  This  is  the  place,  sure  enough,"  he  said,  turning 
to  his  companions.  "  The  tent  and  the  hut;  "  and  he 
nodded  toward  each.  "  You're  Karasch,  by  your 
description,"  he  said  to  Karasch.  "  Where's  the 
prisoner?  " 

"  I'm  in  charge  here.  Put  your  questions  to  me," 
I  broke  in,  brusquely. 

Resenting  my  tone,  he  looked  at  me  more  sharply 
than  before,  and  then  laughed. 

"  I  know  you.  You  must  be  the  man  who  rescued 
our  prisoner  yesterday  and  shot  Drago.  You'll 
answer  for  that,  I  promise  you;  but  I  don't  want  any 
trouble.  Your  other  men  are  on  our  side,  you 
know." 


8o  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  The  man  I  shot  lies  in  the  tent  there  with  a 
broken  leg.  The  prisoner  you  seek  is  in  the  cot- 
tage." 

"  That's  better,"  he  cried,  with  a  sneering  laugh. 
"  You  know  when  you're  beaten,  I  see." 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders  as  if  indifferent. 

"  We're  only  two  here,  and  Karasch  has  a  broken 
arm.  So  you're  not  likely  to  have  much  trouble." 

"Where  are  the  others?"  he  asked,  suspiciously, 
as  if  half  fearing  an  ambush.  "  There  were  five  of 
you." 

"  One,  Andreas,  lies  out  on  the  hills  somewhere, 
hurt  riding  after  your  comrade  in  the  night.  Petrov 
and  Gartski  have  gone  to  Lalwor,  the  hill  village 
yonder,  seeking  help  to  take  the  prisoner." 

"  You'll  have  to  come  with  us." 

"  That's  as  it  may  be.  But  we've  no  horses.  Your 
fool  of  a  man  killed  ours  last  night,  so  that  we 
shouldn't  get  away  until  you  returned.  But  he 
didn't  expect  you  so  soon." 

"  Nor  did  you,  I  expect.  We  came  upon  our 
comrade  on  the  hills  by  chance  this  morning,  too  ill 
even  to  put  a  leg  across  a  horse.  It's  all  that  devil's 
work.  He  wishes  he'd  had  no  hand  in  the  black 
business,  I  can  tell  you.  And  so  will  you." 

"  You  can  take  her  as  soon  as  you  like — the  sooner 
the  better.  She's  caused  enough  trouble  here,"  I 
answered,  and  putting  my  cigar  between  my  lips  I 
sat  down  again  and  lolled  back  as  if  in  lazy  indiffer- 
ence. 

But  my  indifference  was  not  even  skin  deep.  My 
object  was  to  make  them  confident  that  there  was  no 


UNWELCOME    VISITORS  81 

sort  of  resistance  to  be  expected,  and  every  nerve 
and  sense  in  me  was  on  the  alert.  I  was  making-  a 
kind  of  corner  in  risks  just  then,  and  should  need  all 
my  wits  to  avoid  being  squeezed. 

I  was  already  fully  resolved  to  use  the  three  horses 
thus  fortunately  brought  within  my  reach,  and  my 
first  step  was  to  get  the  present  riders  off  their  backs. 
The  second  would  be  to  keep  them  off;  and  the 
third  to  put  Mademoiselle,  myself,  and  Karasch  in 
their  places. 

Karasch  had  said  that  the  "  witch  "  could  bring 
horses  our  way  if  she  pleased;  and  when  I  looked 
his  way  and  saw  his  eyes  glance  meaningly  from  me 
to  the  horses,  I  was  half  persuaded  that  he  connected 
their  presence  with  some  supernatural  agency. 

The  three  men  spoke  together  a  moment  and  then 
the  leader  dismounted,  handed  the  reins  of  his  horse 
to  one  of  the  others,  and  came  toward  me. 

"  I  daresay  you  mean  to  act  all  right  and  give  up 
the  prisoner,"  he  said,  bluntly;  "  but  while  we  stay 
here  I'm  going  to  make  sure  you  can't  play  any  trick 
upon  us  by  tying  your  hands  behind  you.  Stand 
up." 

As  he  spoke  he  signed  to  the  other  two,  who 
levelled  their  guns  point  blank  at  me. 

It  was  a  wholly  unexpected  turn  and  seemed  to 
spell  crisis.  Not  seeing  for  the  moment  what  to  do, 
I  made  no  effort  to  rise,  and  he  repeated  his  com- 
mand. 

"  Get  up,"  he  cried  this  time  with  an  oath.  "  We've 
no  time  to  waste  over  you." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  FIGHT  FOR  THE  HORSES. 

I  met  the  man's  bullying  look  and  glanced  from 
him  along  the  barrels  of  the  guns  which  his  com- 
panions held  pointed  at  me;  and  then  sat  up. 

"  I  don't  see  the  necessity  for  it,"  I  said,  quietly. 

"  No,  but  I  see  it,  and  mean  to  do  it.  Get  up  at 
once,  or  you  may  find  it  difficult  ever  to  rise  again," 
he  said,  savagely. 

I  scrambled  up  leisurely,  dropping  my  hand  into 
the  pocket  where  I  had  my  revolver,  and  my  fingers 
closed  on  it  as  I  held  it  ready  to  shoot  without  draw- 
ing it  out. 

One  of  the  educational  advantages  of  life  in  a 
rough  mining  camp  in  the  West  is  the  use  of  a 
revolver  from  the  safe  concealment  of  a  pocket.  This 
man  didn't  appear  to  understand  the  trick.  I  didn't 
want  his  blood  on  my  hands;  but  I  wasn't  going  to 
let  him  tie  me  up  as  he  proposed. 

"  Turn  round,"  he  ordered. 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  I  said,  quite  coolly.  "  If  you 
do  this,  how  am  I  to  know  you'll  set  me  free  again 
when  you  go  ?  " 

"  Do  as  I  tell  you,"  he  cried  savagely  with  another 
oath. 

"  No,  by  God,  no." 


A   FIGHT   FOR    THE   HORSES  83 

This  was  from  Karasch,  very  loudly  and  angrily 
spoken,  and  the  man  turned  from  me  to  him. 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"  What  I  say.  This  was  my  doing  from  the  first. 
I  set  your  man  free  to  go  and  find  you  and  bring  you 
here;  but  this  shan't  be  done." 

The  interruption  was  very  timely,  and  I  took  ad- 
vantage by  it  to  edge  away  until  I  was  sheltered  from 
the  guns  by  the  leader's  body. 

"  What  Karasch  says  is  right  enough.  But  you 
need  not  say  any  more,  Karasch.  There  won't  be 
any  more  talk  about  binding,  me  or  anyone  else." 

"  By  the  Cross,  but  there  will !  "  cried  the  leader 
fiercely,  and  was  turning  to  give  an  order  to  his  com- 
panions when  I  gripped  him  by  the  shoulder  and 
held  him. 

"  Don't  move.  You're  just  in  the  line  between 
those  two  guns  and  me,  and  I  can  talk  all  the  more 
comfortably  while  you  stay  there."  Karasch  laughed, 
and  the  man  tried  in  vain  to  wriggle  out  of  my  grip. 
"  I'm  covering  you  all  the  time  with  my  revolver, 
and  if  you  get  away  I  shall  shoot.  You've  been  a 
deal  nearer  death  all  the  while  than  you  thought," 
and  I  showed  the  ugly  little  muzzle  above  the  edge 
of  my  pocket. 

The  argument  carried  conviction.  He  ceased  to 
struggle,  and  changed  colour. 

"  Tell  those  men  of  yours  to  throw  their  guns  on 
the  ground.  They  might  go  off  by  accident,  and 
I'm  not  taking  that  kind  of  risk  any  longer." 

He  hesitated,  and  I  showed  him  a  bit  more  of  my 
pocket  argument, 


84  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  I'm  accustomed  to  be  obeyed  pretty  quickly. 
Ask  Karasch  there,"  I  said,  drily.  Karasch  laughed 
again  and  swore. 

The  leader  shouted  the  command  over  his  shoul- 
der, and  after  some  demur  it  was  obeyed. 

"  Go  and  pick  the  guns  up,  Karasch,  and  get  this 
man's  from  his  horse,  and  bring  them  to  the  tent,"  I 
said,  and  waited  while  he  fetched  them. 

Then  I  took  my  hand  from  the  leader's  shoulder 
and  stepped  back. 

"  Now  we  shall  all  breathe  a  little  more  freely. 
You  see  the  kind  of  soft  fool  you've  got  to  deal  with 
in  me  now,  and  you  won't  make  any  more  mistakes 
of  this  kind.  There  are  two  ways  of  doing  what 
you've  come  to  do — the  rough  and  the  smooth. 
You've  tried  the  rough  and  have  run  up  against  a 
snag.  Now  we'll  go  to  the  tent  and  talk  over  the 
smooth  way." 

"  Give  us  our  prisoner,  and  we'll  go." 

"  But  Karasch  and  I  wish  to  go  with  you,  and  I 
want  to  explain  to  you  the  little  difficulty  your  man 
has  put  in  the  way.  Come." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  there." 

"  If  you'd  rather  go  straight  to  hell,  you  can,"  I 
exclaimed,  fiercely.  "  Choose,  and  be  quick  about 
it." 

"  I'll  come,"  he  said,  sullenly. 

"  You  can  tell  your  men  there  we're  going  to  talk, 
and  that  they  may  as  well  bait  their  horses.  We  may 
be  some  time." 

He  was  getting  to  be  quite  an  apt  pupil.  He 
turned  and  gave  the  order,  and  the  two  men  stepped 


A   FIGHT   FOR    THE   HORSES  85 

from  their  saddles  and  growled  to  him  to  make  haste. 

I  led  him  round  the  tent  to  the  shed  where  the 
three  dead  horses  lay. 

"  Last  night  your  man  killed  them.  You  see, 
there  are  three  of  them." 

"Well?" 

"  Well,  there  are  three  dead  ones  here,  killed  by 
your  man,  and  there  are  three  live  ones  out  there  on 
which  you  have  just  ridden  up." 

"You  don't  mean — what  DO  you  mean?"  he 
asked.  He  was  beginning  to  understand. 

"  How  do  you  propose  to  make  up  that  loss  to 
me?" 

He  laughed  uncomfortably.  "  You're  a  cool 
hand,"  he  said. 

"  I'm  cool  enough  just  now,"  I  returned  drily; 
"  and  none  the  safer  on  that  account,  perhaps,  to 
fool  with.  How  are  you  going  to  replace  those  three 
horses?  " 

"  Speak  out,  and  to  hell  with  you,"  he  growled. 

"  I  propose  an  exchange,  that's  all.  You  can  have 
these,  and  I'll  take  yours  and  cry  quits." 

His  face  was  a  study;  rage  battling  with  the  con- 
viction of  helplessness  as  he  glared  at  me. 

"You  are  three  to  two,  I  know;  but  we're  well 
armed,  and  you  have  nothing  but  your  knives.  I 
could  put  a  bullet  into  you  at  this  minute  just  as 
easily,  and  much  more  surely  than  your  men  could 
have  shot  me  a  while  since." 

He  started,  and  I  saw  his  hand  go  stealing  to  his 
sash. 

"  I  shouldn't  draw  it  if  I  were  you,"  I  said  quietly. 


86  THE    QUEENS   ADVOCATE 

He  took  the  advice  and  stood  thinking  in  sore  per- 
plexity. 

Then  I  made  my  first  mistake. 

"  I'll  treat  you  fairly.  I  shall  pay  you  for  the 
horses,  and  will  send  you  a  couple  of  hundred  gulden 
for  each  of  them,  good  Austrian  money." 

His  eyes  lighted;  and  I  read  it  for  a  sign  of  avarice. 

"  Six  hundred  gulden,"  he  said  slowly  and  with 
gusto.  "  Six  hundred  gulden.  It  is  a  large  sum  of 
money;  but  we  should  be  without  horses;  "  and  he 
looked  at  me  cunningly. 

"  I'll  make  it  a  thousand." 

"  Easy  to  promise.     As  easy  a  thousand  as  ten." 

"  What  I  promise  I  can  do." 

"  May  the  Stone  of  the  Sepulchre  crush  me  if  I 
understand,"  he  exclaimed  after  a  pause. 

"  It  may  help  you  to  decide  if  I  remind  you  I  can 
take  the  horses  without  even  promising  a  single 
gulden." 

"And  about  the  prisoner?" 

"  She  goes  with  me." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  she  prefers  to." 

"  So  that  we  lose  the  payment  for  her  as  well  as 
our  horses." 

"  How  much  were  you  to  be  paid?  " 

He  paused  as  if  in  doubt  how  much  to  ask. 

"  Five  hundred  gulden  each.  There  are  six  of 
us."  He  watched  me  closely  as  he  named  the 
amount. 

"  Three  thousand  gulden !  "  She  must  be  a  pris- 
oner of  importance.  Who  is  she?  " 


'A   FIGHT   FOR    THE   HORSES  87 

"  It's  a  long  road  to  Maglai  and  a  difficult." 

"  That  doesn't  answer  my  question.  Your  man 
told  mine  she  was  a  witch."  He  laughed. 

"  So  we  were  told.  Any  tale  was  good  enough  to 
listen  to  at  that  price.  We  can't  talk  so  glibly  about 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  gulden  as  you  can." 

"  Then  YOU  don't  think  she  is  a  witch?  " 

"  I  believe  what  I'm  paid  to  believe — if  the  pay  is 
high  enough.  And  no  one  would  pay  such  a  sum 
for  a  mere  witch." 

"  I'll  pay  you  the  three  thousand  gulden  and  the 
six  hundred  as  well,  if  you  let  me  have  the  horses 
quietly,  and  tell  Karasch  what  you  told  me,  that  the 
prisoner  is  no  witch." 

He  laughed  again,  and  with  sudden  change  to 
earnest  he  shot  a  sharp  look  at  me  and  asked : 

"  How  will  you  pay  ?  Who  are  you  to  have  such 
a  sum?  " 

"  No  matter  who  I  am.  I  will  send  you  the  money 
to  any  place  and  in  any  way  you  name." 

"  Horses  are  horses,  and  I  know  who  is  to  pay  for 
the  prisoner  when  we  get  to  Maglai." 

"  And  I'll  increase  the  price  four  thousand  gulden 
if  you  give  me  the  name  of  the  man  who  has  em- 
ployed you." 

"  I'd  like  to  serve  you,  if  you  really  had  money  to 
throw  away  like  that." 

"  I'm  paying  to  avoid  trouble  and  to  gain  informa- 
tion ;  but  I  mean  to  have  the  horses  in  any  case.  You 
can  choose." 

He  paused  to  think  again. 


88  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  You  must  be  very  rich.  If  I  thought  you'd  pay, 
I'd  do  it." 

"  You  can  take  my  word." 

"  You  don't  look  it,"  he  said  doubtingly,  and  with 
an  accent  of  regret. 

"  I'm  through  with  the  talk.  Choose,"  I  answered, 
shortly. 

"  I'm  ready  to  risk  it,  -but  I  must  speak  to  the 
others." 

"  That's  right  enough.  You  can  do  that ;  but  you 
must  bring  the  horses  up  to  the  side  of  the  tent  first." 

I  let  him  go  in  front  of  me  round  the  tent,  and  he 
called  to  his  companions  to  lead  the  horses  over  to 
us.  Karasch  met  them  half-way,  and  he  and  I  teth- 
ered them  while  the  three  men  held  a  long  and 
animated  discussion. 

I  told  Karasch  what  had  passed,  emphasising  what 
the  leader  had  said  about  the  prisoner  being  no  witch. 

"  But  you  said  she  had  put  a  charm  over  your  life, 
Burgwan." 

"  Because  I  saw  you  were  set  on  killing  her.  She 
is  no  witch,  but  a  prisoner  of  great  importance.  They 
are  to  have  three  thousand  gulden  for  taking  her  to 
'Maglai." 

"  Three  thousand  gulden !  "  he  cried,  his  eyes  wide 
at  the  thought  of  such  a  sum.  To  him  it  was  a  for- 
tune. 

"  Would  anyone  pay  so  much  for  a  witch,  Kar- 
asch?" 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  The  man  may  be  lying." 

I  called  to  him,  and  he  came  and  confirmed  what 


'A   FIGHT  FOR    THE   HORSES  89 

he  had  said  to  me  so  stoutly  that  Karasch  was  con- 
vinced. 

"  Are  you  agreed  yet?  " 

"  There  would  be  no  difficulty  if  we  were  sure  of 
you.  Can  he  pay  such  a  sum  as  four  thousand 
florins?  "  he  asked  Karasc'h,  nodding  his  head  toward 
me. 

"  It  is  a  big  fortune,"  was  the  answer,  with  a  shrug 
of  the  shoulders.  "  But  what  he  promises  he  always 
does." 

Not  a  very  convincing  banker's  reference  that  at 
the  best;  and  the  leader  shook  his  head. 

"  That's  the  point.  It's  only  a  promise,"  he  said, 
slowly,  with  a  shake  of  the  head.  "  Have  you  got 
any  of  it  here  to  give  us  now?"  The  question  was 
asked  casually  enough,  as  if  it  were  no  more  than  the 
occasion  warranted;  but  I  saw  more  than  that  in  it. 

"  I've  told  you  I'd  pay  you  afterwards.  That's  the 
last  word." 

"I'll  try  what  I  can  do  then;"  and  with  that  he 
went  back  to  his  companions,  and  the  earnest  con- 
ference was  resumed. 

"  I  don't  trust  him,"  said  Karasch. 

"  Let  us  get  away  quietly  with  the  horses,  and 
we'll  trust  to  ourselves,  Karasch,"  said  I. 

"  Can  you  pay  such  a  sum  as  he  named  ?  " 

"Yes,  ten  times  the  amount,  Karasch;  and  ten 
times  that  again  if  necessary." 

"  Great  Lord  of  the  Living ! "  he  exclaimed. 
"  And  yet  you  come  here  to  the  hills  in  this  way !  " 

The  three  men  had  now  apparently  ended  their 
conference,  and  the  leader  came  across  to  me. 


9o  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  Two  of  us  are  agreed,"  he  said,  as  he  reached  me, 
"  but  one  will  not  without  proof.  Let  me  see  our 
comrade  whom  you  shot.  He  must  have  a  voice  in 
it  too." 

"  He  is  in  the  tent  here,"  I  answered.  We  entered 
it,  and  he  went  and  knelt  by  the  wounded  man. 

I  did  not  trust  him  any  more  than  did  Karasch, 
and,  although  I  noticed  nothing  to  rouse  my  sus- 
picions, I  watched  the  two  closely,  and  kept  my 
hand  on  the  revolver  in  my  pocket,  and  told  Karasch 
to  watch  the  two  outside. 

So  far  all  had  gone  as  well  as  I  could  have  wished, 
We  had  the  horses  under  our  hands,  and  the  men 
were  divided  so  that  we  could  deal  with  them  in  turn 
should  they  attempt  to  put  up  a  fight. 

Such  a  thing  seemed  far  from  their  thoughts, 
moreover.  From  the  snatches  of  talk  I  heard,  the 
leader  appeared  to  be  arguing  with  his  comrade,  urg- 
ing him  to  agree,  and  answering  the  objections  which 
he  raised.  Words  began  to  run  high  between  them 
presently,  and  at  length  the  leader  cursed  the  other 
volubly  for  a  fool  and  got  up. 

"  I  can  do  nothing  with  this  pig,"  he  exclaimed 
angrily  to  me. 

"  You  must  settle  your  own  matters,  and  be  quick 
about  it,"  I  returned  sharply. 

I  was  getting  very  anxious  now  on  account  of 
mademoiselle.  She  had  been  shut  up  in  the  cottage 
all  the  time,  and  knowing  nothing  of  what  was  pass- 
ing between  the  men  and  me  it  was  easy  to  guess  the 
effect  which  so  trying  a  suspense  would  have  upon 
her. 


rA  FIGHT   FOR    THE   HORSES  91 

"What  can  I  do?  He  vows  that  if  I  yield  to  you 
he  will  denounce  me  at  Belgrade — idiot,  pig,  and  fool 
that  he  is,"  he  cried  furiously,  pacing  the  floor  and 
throwing  his  hands  about.  "  We  are  equally  divided 
now,  two  to  two." 

"  The  meney  I  shall  pay  would  be  a  fortune  for  the 
two  who  help  me.  The  others  would  have  no  part 
in  earning  it,  and  no  right  to  share  it.  Two  thous- 
and gulden,  you  know." 

He  had  passed  me,  and  at  the  words  turned  and 
stood  looking  at  me  with  an  expression  of  consum- 
mate cunning. 

"  You  are  the  devil  to  tempt  a  man,"  he  muttered. 

"  Give  me  your  help  in  this,  and  I'll  make  your 
share  three  thousand,"  I  said,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Three  thousand  gulden,"  he  murmured  under  his 
breath.  "  Three  thousand  gulden  for  myself." 

"  And  you  shall  have  the  horse  we  have  and  come 
with  us  as  guide  to  where  we  wish  to  go.  You  know 
the  country?  " 

"  Every  yard  of  it.  Three  thousand  gulden !  "  He 
murmured  it  almost  caressingly,  like  a  man  dazed  at 
the  prospect  of  such  riches.  "  I'll  do  it,"  he  ex- 
claimed, and  threw  up  'his  hand.  "  You'll  swear  on 
the  cross  to  pay  me?" 

He  made  a  couple  of  steps  toward  me  as  he  spoke, 
and  I  stepped  back,  not  wishing  him  to  come  too 
close. 

"  Now,"  he  cried,  and  sent  up  a  great  shout. 

There  was  a  guttural  sound  behind  me,  and  the 
next  instant  I  felt  the  burning  sting  of  steel  in  my 
flesh  as  the  wounded  man  thrust  a  knife  into  my  leg 


92 

with  a  force  and  suddenness  that  made  me  stagger; 
a  clutch  on  my  coat  followed,  which  upset  my  bal- 
ance and  drew  me  back  all  a-sprawl  across  him. 

Only  by  the  narrowest  chance  did  I  escape  death 
then — the  chance  that  in  falling  I  so  hampered  the 
man  that  he  could  not  deliver  the  second  thrust  for 
which  'he  had  already  lifted  his  knife.  He  struck  at 
me,  but  missed  his  aim.  The  blade  pierced  my  coat 
only,  and,  mercifully,  I  was  unhurt.  I  was  out  of  his 
reach  before  he  could  strike  again,  and  with  a  heavy 
kick  I  put  his  arm  out  of  action  and  sent  the  knife 
flying  across  the  tent  while  I  shouted  for  Karasch. 

It  was  all  the  work  of  an  instant,  and  I  was  barely 
on  my  legs  before  the  leader  rushed  at  me.  My 
fingers  were  still  closed  on  my  revolver  and  I  fired, 
but  in  the  confusion  missed  him,  and  we  grappled 
one  another  in  grim  earnest. 

He  was  a  more  powerful  man  than  I,  and  although 
I  strove  with  all  my  strength  and  used  every  trick  of 
the  wrestling  ring  that  I  knew,  I  could  not  shake  him 
off.  He  knew  I  was  losing  blood  from  the  wound 
in  my  leg;  and  he  clung  to  me,  pinning  my  arms  to 
my  side,  and  waiting  for  my  strength  to  give  out,  as 
assuredly  it  must. 

For  some  minute  or  two  matters  were  thus;  his 
arms  wrapped  round  me  with  the  force  of  iron  clamps, 
fixing  mine  to  my  sides;  his  muscular  body  pressed, 
straining  against  mine,  and  our  faces  so  close  that  I 
could  feel  his  breath  on  me  as  it  came  through  his 
dilated  nostrils. 

Then  chance  was  my  friend  once  more.  As  I 
writhed  and  staggered  in  my  desperate  efforts  to 


A    FIGHT   FOR    THE   HORSES  93 

shake  off  his  terrible  grip,  and  we  tossed  and  swayed 
in  that  grim,  wild  struggle,  he  caught  his  foot  and 
down  we  went  crash  to  the  ground,  he  undermost. 
His  grip  relaxed  for  the  instant,  and  with  a  frantic 
effort  I  thrust  myself  free  from  him,  and  scrambling 
up  jumped  out  of  his  reach. 

In  a  second  I  had  the  drop  on  him;  and  when  he 
regained  his  feet  and  faced  me  with  a  heavy  club  he 
had  picked  up,  he  was  looking  down  the  barrel  that 
meant  death. 

If  I  hadn't  been  a  dhicken-hearted  fool  I  should 
have  shot  him  down  on  the  spot ;  but  instead  I  offered 
him  his  life ;  and  then,  as  if  in  contempt  of  my  weak- 
ness, Fortune  deserted  me. 

"  Throw  your  hands  up,  or  I'll  put  a  bullet  into 
you,"  I  cried. 

He  stood  a  second  as  if  weighing  the  chances,  and 
then  from  outside  came  the  noise  of  trouble.  The 
crash  of  breaking  wood,  a  cry  from  the  girl,  the  sav- 
age  growl  of  Chris,  and  an  angry  shout  in  Kar- 
asch's  deep  voice. 

It  was  almost  the  last  thing  I  knew  of  that  fight. 

Maddened  by  the  sounds  I  sprang  to  rush  from  the 
tent,  when  the  wounded  man,  resourceful  daredevil 
as  he  was,  made  his  last  effort  and  flung  his  rug  right 
at  my  face. 

The  last  thing  I  saw  was  the  leader  springing  to- 
ward me  with  his  uplifted  club;  I  fired  at  him;  and  the 
same  moment  a  blow  on  the  head  finished  the  fight, 
and  I  went  down  stunned  and  senseless. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ESCAPE. 

My  first  conscious  sensation  after  the  blow  felled 
me  was  as  singular  as  it  was  unpleasant.  I  seemed' 
to  be  nothing  but  one  huge  head  on  which  a  hundred 
invisible  smiths  were  hammering  with  quick,  rhyth- 
mic blows,  each  of  which  gave  me  such  excruciating 
pain  that  I  yearned  to  cry  out  to  the  impish  torturers 
to  cease,  but  was  tongue-tied  and  helpless. 

After  a  time  the  throbbing  sensation  decreased  in 
violence;  but  while  the  sharpness  of  the  pain  of  each 
throb  was  less,  it  lasted  longer,  producing  a  deaden- 
ing sickening  ache,  which  was  equally  intolerable. 

Next  I  felt  something  touch  my  hand  with  a  curi- 
ously restless  movement.  The  thing  was  some- 
times cold  and  damp,  and  at  others  warm  and  cling- 
ing, with  a  touch  now  and  then  of  roughness.  I  tried 
to  draw  my  hand  away,  but  found  it  heavier  than  the 
heaviest  metal,  so  that  I  could  not  stir  even  a  ringer. 
I  shrank  from  the  thing  and  shuddered;  it  rilled  me 
with  a  sense  of  uncanny  terror;  and  it  appeared  to 
be  many  long  hours  to  me  before  I  found  that  it  was 
Chris,  nosing  and  licking  me  and  rubbing  his  head 
against  my  hand. 

I  can  recall  to  this  day  the  rush  of  relief  which  this 
discovery  produced,  If  Chris  was  by  my^  side,  all 


ESCAPE  95 

must  be  well.  Just  that  one  vague  thought,  without 
any  other  conscious  connection,  followed  by  a  sensa- 
tion of  calm  peaceful  comfort. 

I  think  I  passed  from  semi-insensibility  then  into 
sleep,  for  when  I  became  conscious  again,  I  was  much 
better.  I  was  no  longer  all  head;  I  could  move  my 
hand  to  touch  Chris,  who  still  kept  his  watch  over 
me;  and  I  heard  his  little  whimper  of  pleasure  at  my 
caress,  as  he  took  my  fingers  in  his  great  mouth  to 
mumble  them,  as  his  manner  was  when  very  demon- 
strative of  his  affection. 

But  I  was  content  to  lie  quite  still  and  soon  after- 
wards another  and  very  different  set  of  sensations 
were  started. 

Someone  came  to  my  side,  a  fairy  touch  smoothed 
the  pillow  under  my  head,  a  gentle,  cool  hand  was  laid 
on  my  burning  forehead,  deft,  quick  fingers  light  as 
gossamer  removed  the  bandage  on  my  head  and 
bathed  it  with  water  of  deliciously  refreshing  cold- 
ness. 

I  heard  a  pitying  sigh  from  tremulous  lips  as  the 
someone  bent  over  me;  I  caught  whispered  words. 
"  It  was  for  me ; "  and  just  when  I  was  striving  to 
open  my  eyes,  the  lips  were  pressed  swiftly  and 
gently  to  my  brow. 

It  did  more  to  soothe  me,  that  one  swift,  gentle 
touch,  than  all  the  waters  of  all  the  coldest  rivers  in 
the  world  could  have  done;  and  although  I  felt  like  a 
guilty  hypocrite,  I  kept  my  eyes  closed  and  my  limbs 
still  in  eager  hope  that  another  dose  of  the  same 
elixir  might  be  administered. 

But  at  the  moment  I  felt  the  deft  fingers  start  and 


96 

tremble;  the  bathing  recommenced  a  little  more  hur- 
riedly; and  Chris  growled.- 

"  Hush,  Chris,  good  dog,"  whispered  Mademois- 
elle. "  It's  only  Karasch.  Dear  old  dog,"  and  a 
hand  left  my  head  to  pat  him,  and  in  patting  him,  the 
fingers  touched  mine  and  then  lifted  my  hand  with 
ever  so  gentle  a  movement  higher  on  to  the  bed. 

A  heavier  tread  approached. 

"  Is  he  better?  "  It  was  Karasch's  gruff  voice  re- 
duced to  a  whisper. 

"  I  have  been  bathing  his  head,"  was  the  reply. 

I  could  have  laughed  in  sheer  ecstasy  at  the  sweet 
remembrance  of  part  of  that  treatment.  And  she 
called  it  "  bathing."  But  I  did  better  than  laugh.  I 
moved  slightly  and  sighed.  I  must  not  show  full 
consciousness  too  soon  after  that  "  bathing." 

"  He  moved  then,"  she  said,  with  a  start,  in  a  tone 
of  pleasure,  and  I  felt  her  bend  hurriedly  over  me 
again  in  the  pause  that  followed. 

Karasch  broke  the  silence. 

"  It  is  not  safe  for  you  to  stay  any  longer,"  he  said. 
"  I  came  to  tell  you." 

The  words  opened  the  floodgates  of  my  memory 
to  all  that  had  occurred.  I  had  forgotten  every- 
thing; but  in  a  moment  I  understood. 

"  I  told  you  I  should  not  leave  him,  Karasch." 

"  He  would  wish  it,  I  know.  Your  safety  comes 
first  with  him." 

"  Come  where  we  can  speak  without  fear  of  dis- 
turbing him,"  was  the  reply;  and  then  I  was  left  alone 
with  Chris. 

I  opened  my  eyes  and  looked  about  me,  remem- 


"PUT   THObE  GUMS   DO\VX  !  " 


Page  96 


ESCAPE  97 

bering  things.  I  was  in  the  tent  close  to  where  I 
had  fallen  and  they  had  brought  the  bed  from  the 
cottage  and  placed  me  on  it.  I  looked  about  for  the 
wounded  man  who  had  been  the  cause  of  my  undoing-, 
but  he  was  not  there.  Everything  else  was  as  it  had 
been  before  the  trouble;  and  I  wondered  what  had 
happened. 

"  Good  Chris,  old  dog-,"  I  said,  putting  out  my 
hand  to  pat  him.  He  barked,  not  very  loudly,  but 
the  sound  jarred  my  head  with  such  a  spasm  of  pain 
that  I  hushed  him ;  and  as  I  was  doing1  so,  Mademois- 
elle and  Karasch  came  hurrying  back. 

"  You  are  better,  Burgwan?  "  she  asked. 

"What  does  it  all  mean?"  I  asked.  "I  remem- 
ber I  had  a  crack  on  the  head."  I  lifted  my  head, 
though  it  took  all  I  knew  not  to  wince  at  the  pain  it 
cost  me,  and  put  my  hand  to  it. 

"  We  will  tell  you  everything  presently.  You 
mustn't  talk  yet.  You  are  not  strong  enough." 

"Tell  me  now.  I  am  all  right;"  but  I  was  glad 
to  yield  to  her  hand  and  lay  my  head  down  again. 
"Where  are  those  men?" 

"  All  is  well.  You  may  be  perfectly  at  ease,"  she 
said,  soothingly. 

"What  time  is  it?" 

"  It  is  afternoon." 

"The  same  day?" 

'''  Yes,  the  same  day.  You  have  been  unconscious 
from  that  blow  on  the  head.  I  am  so  glad  you  are 
better.  But  you  must  sleep." 

I  looked  across  at  Karasch,  who  was  staring  at  me 
with  trouble  in  his  eyes. 


98  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"Did  we  keep  the  horses?"  I  asked  him;  but 
Mademoiselle  replied. 

"  Yes.  All  is  well.  You  can  rest  in  perfect 
safety." 

Karasch  started  to  say  something,  but  she  checked 
him  with  a  glance  and  a  gesture. 

"Any  news  of  Petrov  or  Gartski?"  I  asked  him; 
and  again  she  gave  the  answer  for  him. 

"  They  will  give  us  no  trouble  now,  none  at  all," 
she  said,  with  gentle  firmness.  "  You  can  rest  quite 
assured." 

Again  Karasch  wanted  to  speak  and  again  she 
stopped  him  just  as  before  with  a  glance  and  a  quick 
gesture.  I  understood  then. 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  Karasch  alone,"  I  said. 

"  No,  you  must  not  speak  to  him  yet.  There  will 
be  plenty  of  time  when  you  are  better.  Go  away, 
Karasch;  you  disturb  Burgwan  and  excite  him." 

He  lingered  in  hesitation  and  looked  at  me;  and 
she  repeated  her  words  dismissing  him. 

"  Yes  go,  Karasch,  and  saddle  the  horses.  Three 
of  them ;  and  put  together  enough  food  for  three  of 
us  for  a  couple  of  days.  And  come  and  report  the 
moment  you  are  ready." 

"  Burgwan !    You  are  mad,"  cried  Mademoiselle. 

"  No,  I  am  just  beginning  to  be  sane  again.  Go, 
Karasch ;  "  and  without  any  more  he  left  the  tent. 

"  You  must  not  attempt  such  folly.  I  will  not 
go." 

"  You'll  find  it  both  lonely  and  unsafe  alone  here 
then."  She  smiled  at  that,  but  tried  to  frown. 

"  That  is  just  like  you.     But  you  shall  not  take 


ESCAPE  99 

this  risk.  You  are  not  fit  to  move  from  where  you 
are." 

"  Fit  or  unfit,  I'm  going.  I  read  Karasch's  mean- 
ing in  his  looks  when  you  wouldn't  let  him  put  it  in 
words." 

"  Don't  attempt  this,  Burgwan.  Please,  please 
don't,"  she  cried  with  such  sweet  solicitude  for  me 
and  such  complete  indifference  to  her  own  danger 
that  I  could  not  but  be  deeply  moved. 

"  What  would  happen  if  Petrov  or  Gartski  got 
back  with  a  crowd?  I'm  not  strong  enough  just  yet 
to  do  any  more  fighting,  but  I  am  strong  enough  to 
run  away.  And  run  away  I'm  going  to." 

"  It  may  kill  you,"  s'he  murmured,  despondently. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  I  am  getting  stronger  every 
moment.  See,  I  can  sit  up;  "  and  I  sat  up  and  tried 
to  smile  as  if  I  enjoyed  it,  although  my  head  seemed 
almost  to  split  in  two  with  the  effort.  I  can't  have 
been  very  successful,  for  she  winced  and  flinched  as 
though  she  herself  were  in  suffering. 

"  You  need  rest  and  sleep — you  must  have  it." 

"  I  can  sleep  in  the  saddle.  I'm  an  old  hand  at 
that." 

"  But  the  jolting — oh,  no,  no,  you  shall  not." 

"  The  jolting  won't  hurt  me.  I  can  shake  my 
head  any  old  way  now."  I  shook  it,  and  she  and  the 
tent  and  the  bed,  the  earth  itself  seemed  to  come 
tumbling  all  about  me  in  a  bewildering  rush  of  throb- 
bing pain. 

'  You  nearly  fainted  then,"  she  cried.  And  I  sup- 
pose I  did,  for  her  voice  sounded  far  off  and  her  sor- 
row-filled face  and  eyes  were  looking  at  me  through 


ioo  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

a  hazy  film  of  distance.    But  I  pulled  myself  together. 

"  I'm  a  bit  weak,  of  course,  but  fit  enough  to  ride." 

"  Burgwan !  You  are  going  to  do  this  madness  for 
me." 

"  No,  no,"  I  said,  my  head  clearing  again.  "  I  am 
just  running  away  because  I'm  afraid  of  what  may 
happen  to  me  if  I  stay  until  Petrov  and  the  other 
fools  get  here." 

"  Let  me  go  by  myself  then." 

"And  desert  me?"  She  lifted  her  hands  with  a 
glance  of  protest. 

"You  make  things  so  difficult,"  s'he  cried;  then 
with  a  change  as  a  new  thought  occurred  to  her, 
she  added :  "  Beside,  there  is  another  reason  for  you 
not  to  come  with  me.  You  are  so  weak  we  should 
not  be  able  to  ride  fast  enough.  You  must  see  that." 

"  You  fear  I  should  hamper  your  escape?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  stoutly,  although  her  eyes 
were  contradicting  her  words  and  she  dropped  them 
before  my  look.  "  You  are  not  strong  enough." 

I  affected  to  believe  the  words  and  not  the  eyes. 

"  I  give  in.     You  must  go  alone  then." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  to  stay." 

"  And  face  the  brutes  who  would  come  here?  Do 
you  know  why  they  are  coming?  " 

"  Yes.  Karasch  has  told  me  all — his  own  belief 
about  me,  and  that  of  the  others." 

"  You  are  brave,  Mademoiselle." 

The  words  were  simple  enough  in  themselves,  but 
I  think  she  read  in  them  something  of  what  was  in 
my  thoughts.  She  kept  'her  head  bent  down  and  her 


ESCAPE  101 

interlocked  fingers  worked  nervously.  Then  she 
looked  up  and  smiled. 

"You  know  the  risk  you  would  run;  why  would 
you  do  it  ?  "  I  asked. 

She  threw  off  the  more  earnest  feeling  with  a  shrug 
of  the  shoulders.  "  I  don't  know  that  there  would 
be  any  risk." 

I  took  this  as  her  way  of  avoiding  the  channel  into 
which  we  were  drifting.  I  smiled. 

"  You  would  be  so  helpless,  too,  alone  here,"  I  said. 

"  Alone  ?  "  catching  at  the  word. 

"  Yes  alone.  I  am  afraid  to  stay  and  am  going  in 
any  cas.e ;  if  not  with  you,  to  hamper  you,  then  by  a 
different  road." 

Her  eyes  clouded  and  she  gave  a  little  nervous 
start.  "  I  am  punished;  but  I — I  didn't  mean  that," 
she  said  very  slowly. 

"  I  know.  If  I  had  not  seen  your  real  motive  I 
might  have  been  content  to  stay.  Nothing  would 
have  mattered  then. 

"  Burgwan !  "  Quick  protest  and  some  dismay 
were  in  her  tone;  and  the  colour  rushed  to  her 
cheeks.  "  I  will  go  and  see  if  Karasch  is  ready,"  she 
added,  and  hurried  away. 

Had  I  said  too  much  and  offended  her?  I  sat  look- 
ing after  her  some  moments,  in  somewhat  anxious 
doubts  and  fears,  and  yet  conscious  of  a  strange  feel- 
ing of  exhilaration. 

Then  with  a  sigh  of  perplexed  discontent  I  threw 
back  the  rug,  rolled  off  the  bed,  and  got  on  my  feet. 
I  was  abominably  weak.  My  brain  swam  with  every 
movement  I  made,  so  that  the  place  whirled  about 


102  THE   QUEEN'S  'ADVOCATE 

me  until  I  must  have  nearly  fainted.  My  leg  was 
stiff  and  painful  where  that  treacherous  brute  had  run 
his  knife  into  me.  I  remember  looking  at  the  bed 
with  a  sort  of  feverish  longing  to  get  back  on  to 
it  almost  impossible  to  resist  as  I  clung  to  the  tent 
pole  to  steady  myself  and  let  my  head  clear. 

"  It's  got  to  be  done,  Chris,  old  man,"  I  said  to  the 
old  dog,  who  was  standing  by  me;  and  after  a  struggle 
resolution  lent  me  strength,  and  I  ventured  at  length 
to  do  without  the  support  of  the  pole  and  began  to 
limp  slowly  and  painfully  up  and  down.  If  there  had 
been  no  one  but  myself  to  think  about  I  should  have 
given  in  and  just  lain  down  again  to  let  happen  what 
might. 

But  the  thought  of  Mademoiselle's  danger  was 
tonic  enough  to  keep  me  going;  and  when  I  heard 
Karasch  and  her  outside,  I  managed  to  crawl  to  the 
opening  of  the  tent  to  meet  them. 

"  We  are  ready,  you  see,  Chris  and  I,"  I  said. 

Mademoiselle  said  nothing,  but  the  look  in  her 
eyes  was  full  of  sweet  sympathy  and  deep  anxiety. 

"  I'm  afraid  I  don't  look  very  fit,"  I  murmured. 
I  must  have  cut  a  sorry  figure,  indeed,  I  expect;  my 
clothes  rough  and  torn,  begrimed  with  dirt  and 
smeared  here  and  there  with  blood,  my  head  swathed 
in  a  bandage,  and  my  face  pale  to  whiteness  above 
and  blackened  below  with  my  sprouting  beard. 

"  I  wish  you  could  laugh  at  me.  It  would  do  me 
a  power  of  good." 

"  Laugh !  Burgwan !  "  she  said,  her  lips  trem- 
bling. She  put  out  'her  hand.  "  Let  me  help  you. 
Lean  on  me." 


ESCAPE  103 

"  As  if  I  wanted  any  help,"  I  laughed,  and  making 
an  effort,  I  started  toward  the  horse  I  was  to  mount, 
only  to  stagger  badly  after  half  a  dozen  steps.  In  a 
moment  her  arm  was  under  mine. 

"  You  see,"  she  exclaimed,  in  quick  distress. 

But  I  laughed.  "  Coward,  to  gloat  over  my  fallen 
pride.  I  only  tripped  over  something." 

"  Lean  on  me,"  was  all  she  said. 

"  Are  you  really  fit  to  travel,  Burgwan  ?  "  asked 
Karasch. 

"  Get  me  on  to  the  horse.  I  can  ride  when  I  can't 
walk." 

"  I  think  you  should  stay  here,"  he  declared. 

"  Silence,  Karasch,"  I  returned,  angrily.  My 
anger  was  at  my  own  confounded  weakness,  but  I 
vented  it  on  him.  "  The  air  will  pull  me  together." 

I  started  again  for  the  horse  and  this  time  reached 
it,  and  with  Karasch  to  help  me,  clambered  into  the 
saddle. 

Mademoiselle  watched  us  almost  breathlessly.  If 
my  face  was  whiter  than  hers,  I  must  have  looked 
bad  indeed. 

"  Have  you  got  everything,  Karasch  ?  " 

'  Yes.  Food,  water  and  arms ;  "  and  he  pointed 
to  the  horse  he  was  to  ride  which  was  well  laden. 

"  I  can't  help  you  up,  Mademoiselle,"  I  said,  with 
a  smile. 

I  seemed  to  be  the  only  one  of  the  three  who  could 
raise  a  smile;  for  she  looked  preternaturally  grave 
and  troubled  as  she  mounted,  and  Karasch  as  though 
he  had  never  known  a  smile  since  he  was  born.  But 
then  he  was  never  much  of  a  humorist. 


104  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  The  map  and  the  compass,  you  have  them  ?  "  I 
asked  him. 

"  I  have  them,"  said  Mademoiselle. 

"  Then  we  can  go.  Wait,  wait,"  I  exclaimed.  "  I 
have  forgotten  something.  I  must  get  off." 

"What  is  it?"  she  asked. 

"  We  must  have  money.  It's  in  the  hut.  I  must 
get  it." 

"  You  can't  go  in  there,"  she  said,  quickly. 

"Why  not?" 

"  The  men  are  there." 

"The  men  there?"  I  repeated  dully,  not  under- 
standing. "What  are  they  doing  there?" 

"  When  you  were  found  in  the  tent  we  dared  not 
move  you,  so  we  brought  the  bed  across  to  you  and 
put  the  wounded  men  in  the  cottage." 

"  Yes,  of  course,  you  haven't  told  me  yet  what 
occurred.  But  my  money  is  'hidden  there  and  we 
must  have  it." 

"  We'll  fetch  it  if  you  tell  us  where  to  find  it." 

"Karasch?"  I  answered,  doubtingly. 

"  You  can  trust  him.  I  am  sure  of  him,"  she 
declared  with  implied  confidence.  "  He  is  a  Serb 
and  would  give  his  life  for — for  us.  I  would  trust 
him  with  mine." 

"  There  is  more  there  than  he  thinks.  I'd  rather 
he  didn't  see  it  all.  Life  is  one  thing,  money's  an- 
other." 

"  Tell  me  then.  I  will  get  it.  He  shall  go  with 
me  to  the  hut  door,  but  shall  not  see  it." 

I  told  her  where  to  find  it  and  she  and  Karasch 
dismounted.  I  waited  on  my  horse  and  while  they* 


ESCAPE  105 

were  in  the  cottage  I  heard  the  report  of  a  gun  in 
the  distance. 

Chris  started  up  at  the  sound  and  barked  in  warn- 
ing. 

"  I  don't  like  the  thing  either,  old  dog."  I  didn't  ; 
for  unless  I  was  too  dizzy  to  guess  right,  it  came 
from  the  direction  of  Lahvor  and  threatened  trouble. 
They  lingered  an  unnecessary  time  in  the  cottage 
and  every  moment  was  now  dangerous;  so  I  rode  up 
to  the  door  and  called  them.  When  they  came  out 
Mademoiselle  was  trembling  and  looked  scared  and 
ill. 

"  I  must  get  them  some  water,  Burgwan,"  she 
said,  as  she  handed  me  the  money.  "  I  cannot  leave 
them  like  that.  One  of  them — the  one  Chris  flew 
at — seems  to  be  dying." 

"  We  dare  not  stay ;  "  and  I  told  them  of  the  gun- 
shot I  had  heard.  "  There  will  soon  be  enough  here 
to  look  after  them." 

Karasch  settled  the  matter  with  a  promptness 
Which  showed  what  he  thought  of  the  news.  He 
threw  down  the  pannikin  he  carried  and  shut  the 
door  of 'the  hut. 

"  Come,"  I  said  to  her;  and  seeing  we  were  both 
so  earnest,  she  gave  way  and  we  started. 

We  rode  slowly  and  in  silence  down  the  ravine 
until  we  reached  the  mouth  of  it,  and  made  such 
speed  as  we  could  down  the  mountain  road. 

'There's  a  lot  I  want  to  ask;  but  as  the  easiest 
pace  for  me  is  a  canter,  and  as  it's  the  safest  for  us 
all  just  now,  we'll  hurry.  We  can  talk  afterwards," 
I  said  when  we  reached  the  level;  and  I  urged  my 


io6  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

horse  on  until  we  were  cantering  briskly,  the  old 
dog  loping  along  close  to  me  and  looking  up  con- 
stantly as  though  he  was  fully  conscious  that  some- 
thing was  very  much  amiss  with  me  calling  for  the 
utmost  vigilance  and  guardianship  on  his  part. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

WHAT  HAPPENED  IN  THE  NIGHT. 

We  did  not  slacken  speed  until  we  had  put  some 
miles  between  us  and  the  camp;  and  although  at  first 
I  suffered  abominable  torture  from  the  jolting,  I  had 
to  keep  on,  and  after  a  time  I  found  that  the  rush  of 
the  cool  air,  acting  as  a  kind  of  stimulating  tonic 
revived  me.  My  head  became  gradually  less  pain- 
ful and  my  brain  cleared. 

If  we  had  only  been  certain  of  our  road  I  should 
have  had  no  serious  misgivings  as  to  the  result.  We 
were  all  well  mounted,  and  although  the  horses  were 
not  fresh,  yet  they  were  quite  fit  to  carry  us  the  dis- 
tance we  had  to  travel  to  reach  the  railway.  But  I 
could  only  guess  the  road,  picking  the  way  by  the 
compass;  and  in  that  difficult  and  barren  district 
there  was  a  constant  risk  that  we  should  lose  the  way, 
especially  as  we  should  have  to  ride  through  the 
night. 

It  was  almost  evening  when  we  left  the  camp,  and 
my  intention  was  to  ride  as  far  and  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible while  the  daylight  lasted  and  then  rest  until 
the  moon  rose.  We  should  then  have  six  or  seven 
hours  to  ride  before  even  the  earliest  peasants  would 
be  astir,  and  in  that  time  I  calculated  we  should  be 
able  to  reach  the  frontier  town  of  Samac,  the  ter- 
minus of  the  line. 


io8  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

The  overpowering  reason  for  travelling  at  night 
was  the  fear  that  some  attempt  would  be  made  at 
pursuit.  If  Petrov  and  Gartski  succeeded  in  bring- 
ing any  considerable  party  back  to  the  camp  from 
Lalwor,  they  would  learn  from  the  men  there  of  the 
reward  to  be  paid  for  getting  Mademoiselle  to 
Maglai;  and  for  any  such  sum  as  three  thousand 
gulden  the  average  Bosnian  peasant  would  leave  all 
he  had  in  the  world  and  go  scrambling  for  a  share 
of  it.  And  with  greed  to  back  up  the  superstitious 
abhorrence  of  witchcraft,  there  was  no  telling  what 
would  be  done. 

We  were  a  party  easily  tracked,  too.  Two 
wounded  men,  a  woman,  and  a  huge  hound  like  Chris 
would  be  readily  remembered  if  once  seen  anywhere 
at  any  time;  and  the  night  was  thus  the  safest  for  us. 

I  kept  all  these  thoughts  to  myself,  however,  and 
pushed  on  as  fast  as  practicable,  although  both 
Mademoiselle  and  Karasch  urged  me  more  than  once 
to  halt  and  rest. 

"  We  must  get  on  while  the  light  lasts,"  was  my 
answer.  "  We  shall  be  compelled  to  rest  when  the 
dark  falls ;  "  and  the  only  time  we  slackened  speed 
was  when  the  nature  of  the  road  compelled  us. 

"  I  wish  you  would  rest,  Burgwan,  if  only  for  an 
hour,"  said  Mademoiselle  as  we  were  walking  the 
horses  up  a  hill. 

"  Not  while  the  light  lasts,"  I  replied.  "  The  fret- 
ting impatience  to  get  on  would  do  me  more  harm 
than  the  rest  would  good.  I  am  in  little  or  no  pain 
now.  Tell  me  what  happened  after  I  was  knocked 
over." 


WHAT   HAPPENED   IN    THE    NIGHT     109 

"  Karasch  and  Chris  saved  me.  He  says  the  man 
in  the  tent  with  you  shouted  some  signal  at  which 
the  two  Who  were  with  him  broke  open  the  hut  door. 
Chris  flew  at  them,  pinned  one  man  by  the  throat, 
and  the  other  who  was  close  behind  fell  in  the  con- 
fusion. 

"  Good  Chris,"  I  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  good  dog.  Well,  Karasch  was  on 
the  watch  and  as  the  man  was  getting  up  and  draw- 
ing his  knife  to  attack  Chris,  Karasch  rushed  up  and 
knocked  him  senseless  with  a  gun." 

"  Well  played,  Karasch.     And  then?  " 

"  That  was  all,  except  that  I  had  great  difficulty  in 
making  Chris  loose  his  hold.  His  fury  was  really 
awful  to  see.  But  he  obeyed  me,  and  Karasch  and  I 
together  bound  the  men  and  made  them  prisoners; 
but  both  were  badly  hurt — especially  the  one  Chris 
mauled." 

"  But  the  third  man  ?  "  I  asked,  perplexed. 

"  We  found  him  shot  in  the  tent,  near  you." 

I  remembered  then  my  shot  at  random  just  as  I 
was  struck. 

"Is  he  dead?" 

"  No,  but  badly  wounded;  and  we  got  him  and  the 
man  you  took  last  night  to  the  hut." 

"  Well,  it  serves  them  all  right ;  and  the  folk  from 
Lalwor  will  look  after  them.  They  meant  killing 
me.  But  it  may  make  things  uglier  for  us,  and  is 
all  the  stronger  reason  for  us  to  hurry  on  while  the 
light  lasts;  "  and  we  pressed  forward  again. 

Just  when  the  gloom  was  deepening  fast,  my 
policy  of  haste  was  justified. 


I io  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

I  had  halted  at  a  point  where  the  road  forked  and, 
in  considerable  doubt  which  way  to  ride,  was 
anxiously  consulting  my  map  when  Chris  put  his 
nose  to  the  ground  and  whimpered. 

"Steady,  Chris,  good  dog,  steady,"  I  whispered; 
and  he  knew  he  was  to  make  no  noise.  "  Some  one 
is  about,"  I  said  to  Mademoiselle.  We  sat  silent  and 
listened,  and  presently  heard  the  throbbing  of  hoofs 
from  the  direction  we  had  been  riding. 

"  Two  horses,"  said  Karasch,  whose  hearing  was 
very  acute. 

"  It  may  be  nothing.  Ride  into  the  shadow  of 
those  trees  and  let  Karasch  and  Chris  go  with  you," 
I  said  to  Mademoiselle. 

"  But  you     .     .     .     ."  she  began  to  object. 

"  Please  do  as  I  say  and  at  once,"  I  interposed; 
and  I  put  my  horse  on  to  the  grass  under  another 
tree. 

She  did  as  I  asked  without  further  protest  and 
I  waited  for  the  newcomers.  They  caught  sight  of 
me  while  still  at  some  distance  and  checked  their 
horses  first  to  a  trot,  and  then  to  a  walk. 

"  You  are  well  come;  I  have  lost  my  way,"  I  said 
as  they  reached  me.. 

"  Who  are  you?  "  asked  one;  and  as  the  question 
was  put  the  other  man  laughed,  and  backed  his  horse 
to  a  safe  distance  as  he  said : 

"  It  is  Burgwan.  We  are  all  right; "  and  I  recog- 
nised the  voice. 

"That  is  Petrov?" 

"  Yes.     You  are  wanted  at  the  camp,  Burgwan, 


WHAT  HAPPENED   IN    THE   NIGHT     in 

to  explain  things  there.  Where  is  the  witch?  May 
the  curse  of  God  blight  her ! " 

"  If  you  are  the  man,  Burgwan,  you  must  come 
back  with  us,"  put  in  the  other  man,  who  spoke  with 
an  air  of  authority. 

"Must?" 

"  Yes,  must.  There  are  some  badly  injured  men 
there;  and  the  injured  make  strange  charges  against 
you  which  must  be  explained." 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  I  am  Captain  Hanske,  from  Lalwor — the  head 
officer  of  the  district  under  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment. You  left  the  place  with  an  escaped  prisoner? 
She  must  return  with  you." 

A  most  disquieting  turn,  this.  Of  all  develop- 
ments possible,  the  least  to  my  liking  was  a  conflict 
with  the  Austrian  authorities. 

"  I  am  prepared  to  meet  any  charges,"  I  answered 
firmly.  "  An  attempt  was  made  upon  my  life  there, 
and  all  I  did  was  done  in  self-defence.  But  I  cannot 
return  with  you." 

"  You  have  no  option.  You  must  do  as  I  say  and 
at  once."  He  spoke  in  curt  stern  tone  of  a  man 
accustomed  to  be  obeyed.  I  knew  well  enough  the 
fear  in  which  the  Austrian  officials  are  held  by  the 
Bosnians. 

"  We  will  see,"  I  answered,  in  quite  as  stiff  a  tone. 
"  I  have  first  a  reckoning  to  settle  with  Petrov 
there ; "  and  I  wheeled  my  horse  round  and  rode 
toward  him.  But  he  did  not  wait  for  me  to  get  near 
him.  He  was  off  like  the  wind;  as  indeed  I  had 
hoped. 


ii2  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  I'll  carry  the  news  back  to  the  rest  at  the  camp," 
he  called  over  his  shoulder,  and  he  galloped  back 
along  the  road  as  though  the  devil  himself  were  at 
his  heels.  I  listened  to  the  dying  sounds  of  his 
horse's  hoofs  with  intense  satisfaction,  and  went  back 
with  a  laugh  to  the  official. 

"  Your  character  as  a  desperado  is  well  estab- 
lished," he  exclaimed  drily  and  angrily. 

"  Now  we  can  talk  on  equal  terms,"  said  I,  quietly. 

"  I  order  you  in  the  name  of  the  Emperor  to  come 
with  me." 

"  And  I  tell  you,  man  to  man,  I  shall  do  nothing 
of  the  kind.  I  am  no  desperado,  as  I  shall  be  easily 
able  to  prove  when  necessary;  but  I  have  no  time  for 
anything  of  the  sort  now." 

"  Then  I  shall  accompany  you." 

"  No,  that  also  is  impossible." 

"  What  were  you  doing  in  the  camp  yonder?  " 

"  My  own  business,  merely." 

"  Where  are  you  going?  " 

"  Also  about  my  own  business." 

"  Where  are  your  papers?  " 

"  I  have  none  to  show  you." 

"  Then  I  shall  accompany  you." 

"  No.     That  I  shall  not  allow." 

"  Do  you  dare  to  threaten  me?  " 

:'  There  are  three  roads  here.  One  back  to  the 
camp;  one  to  the  left  there,  and  one  to  the  right. 
You  are  free  to  choose  which  you  please  and  I  will 
take  another." 

"  I  shall  not  leave  you."  He  was  getting  very 
angry  and  dogged. 


WHAT   HAPPENED   IN    THE   NIGHT     113 

"  If  you  are  armed  you  may  perhaps  force  your- 
self upon  me." 

"  I  shall  do  as  I  say,"  he  answered,  with  just 
enough  hesitation  to  assure  me  he  was  not  armed. 
Then  it  occurred  to  me  that  it  would  be  safer  to  get 
him  away  from  the  place  and  to  increase  the  distance 
between  him  and  the  camp.  It  would  be  the  more 
difficult  for  Petrov  and  the  rest  to  find  him  when  they 
returned. 

"  Mademoiselle,"  I  called.  She  and  Karasch  came 
out.  "  We  are  to  have  a  companion.  This  gentle- 
man desires  to  ride  with  us.  This  is  our  road; "  and 
choosing  that  which  led  away  to  the  right,  I  rode  on 
with  her,  leaving  the  official  to  follow. 

She  had  overheard  the  conversation  and  ques- 
tioned me  with  some  anxiety  as  to  what  I  meant  to 
do.  She  went  so  far  even  as  to  suggest  a  return  to 
the  camp. 

"  I  have  my  plans.  It  will  all  come  right.  I 
should  have  left  him  at  the  fork  of  the  road  there 
had  I  not  thought  it  best  to  get  'him  further  away." 

"  But  I  could  probably  satisfy  him,"  she  said. 

"  I'll  deal  with  him  in  my  own  way,  please,"  was 
my  reply. 

We  plunged  along  at  such  pace  as  we  could  make 
now  that  the  darkness  had  deepened;  but  when  we 
could  go  no  faster  than  a  walk,  and  were,  I  reckoned, 
some  two  miles  from  the  cross  roads,  I  called  a  halt. 

"  We  are  going  to  rest  here,  captain,"  I  said  to 
him,  as  we  dismounted. 

We  three  sat  by  the  side  of  the  road  and  while  we 
made  a  hasty  meal  I  explained  my  plan  to  Karasch, 


114  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

who  was  frankly  frightened  by  the  presence  of  the 
official. 

"  The  moon  will  be  up  in  a  couple  of  hours,  Kar- 
asch,  and  you  must  keep  watch.  I  must  sleep  or  I 
shall  not  be  fit  to  ride  later.  We  are  going  to  leave 
that  man  here.  If  he  dismounts,  find  the  means  to 
turn  his  horse  astray;  if  he  does  not,  you  must  dis- 
able the  horse.  But  don't  shoot  it  except  in  the  last 
resource;  for  we  don't  know  who  might  hear  tHe 
shot.  The  man  we  shall  just  tie  up  to  a  tree." 

"  It  is  dangerous,  Burgwan.  He  is  an  officer  of 
the  Imperial  Government,"  said  Karasch. 

"  If  he  were  the  Emperor  of  Austria  himself,  I 
should  do  it  in  the  plight  we  are  in." 

I  lay  down.  The  excitement  had  kept  me  going; 
but  I  was  done  now;  utterly  exhausted  and  worn 
out;  and  despite  the  hazard  of  our  position,  I  was 
soon  fast  asleep.  I  was  wakened  by  a  loud,  angry 
cry  from  the  Austrian.  I  could  scarcely  lift  my* 
head  for  the  throbbing  in  it;  I  ached  in  every  joint 
and  muscle;  and  my  leg  was  woefully  stiff  and  pain- 
ful from  that  knife  thrust;  but  I  scrambled  to  my 
feet  in  alarm  and  confusion  at  the  noise. 

I  must  have  slept  for  some  three  hours;  for  the 
moon  was  up  and  shining  fitfully  between  the  masses 
of  ragged  threatening  clouds  which  were  scudding 
across  the  face  of  the  heavens.  By  the  light  I  saw 
the  man  struggling  with  Karasch  and  shouting  with 
a  vigour  that  woke  very  dangerous  echoes  in  the  still 
night.  Mademoiselle  was  holding  Chris,  who  was 
growling  ominously,  and  she  was  attempting  to  still 
him. 


WHAT  HAPPENED   IN    THE   NIGHT     115 

I  went  over  to  them  and  found  that  Karasch  had 
strapped  the  man's  legs  tight  together  and  was  hold- 
ing on  to  the  strap  with  his  one  arm  while  the 
Austrian  was  righting  and  wrestling  to  get  free. 

"  Down,  Chris.  You  may  loose  him,  Mademoi- 
selle," I  said;  and  the  good  dog  came  instantly  to 
heel.  "  Stand  from  him,  Karasch,"  I  called  next. 
"  Now,  sir,  you  must  stop  those  cries;  or  I  shall  put 
the  dog  on  you." 

"  This  is  an  outrage,  an  infernal  outrage,  and  you 
shall  all  suffer  for  it,"  he  cried,  furiously. 

"  It's  done  by  my  orders.  The  outrage  is  that 
you  should  endeavour  to  force  yourself  upon  us." 

"  I  am  doing  my  duty.     I  am  a  Government " 

"  I  choose  not  to  believe  you;  that's  all  there  is  to 
it;  and  I  take  you  to  be  a  dirty  spy  set  upon  me  by 
that  other  coward,  Petrov,  who  was  with  you.  I  am 
going  to  tie  your  arms  to  your  sides  and  leave  you 
here.  We  are  both  suffering  from  the  injuries  in- 
flicted by  your  accomplices;  and  if  you  resist,  you 
must  settle  matters  with  my  dog  here — and  he  makes 
a  rough  fighter  at  the  best  of  times." 

"  You  infernal  villain.     .     .     ."  he  spluttered. 

"  Chris."  The  great  dog  came  close  up  to  him 
and  a  fearsome  brute  he  looked  in  the  moonlight  as 
he  eyed  the  captain  and  showed  his  fangs  with  an 
angry  snarl.  "  Now,  Karasch." 

He  ceased  to  struggle  then  and  let  Karasch  fasten 
him  up  securely;  and  after  that  we  gagged  him,  and 
finding  a  suitable  place  some  distance  from  the  road 
we  left  him. 

"Where's  his  horse?" 


n6  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  I  started  him  over  the  hills.  Mademoiselle 
helped  me.  I  couldn't  have  done  it  without  her. 
She  got  him  from  his  horse  talking  with  him,  and  I 
got  rid  of  the  horse.  It'll  probably  go  home." 

"  It  may  go  to  the  devil  for  aught  I  care.  But  we 
must  be  off  without  losing  another  moment." 

I  felt  the  necessity  now.  We  had  burnt  our  boats 
with  a  vengeance  in  this  treatment  of  the  Austrian 
captain ;  and  if  we  were  caught  on  Austrian  territory 
there  might  be  a  big  bill  to  pay  before  we  could 
settle  matters.  It  was  not  now  Mademoiselle's  safety 
only  that  depended  upon  our  reaching  Samac,  but 
our  own  also,  and  we  pushed  on  as  fast  as  possible. 

"  Karasch  told  me  'how  cleverly  you  got  that  man 
separated  from  his  horse,  Mademoiselle,"  I  said  when 
we  were  walking  the  horses  up  a  steep  hill. 

"  He  did  not  hear  what  I  said  to  him?  "  she  asked, 
quickly. 

"  He  said  nothing  to  me  if  he  did." 

"  He  deserves  what  he  has  got;  but  it  is  a  danger- 
ous thing  in  Bosnia  to  interfere  with  an  Austrian 
official." 

"  What  did  you  say  to  him  ?  " 

"  I  made  the  only  offer  I  could.  I  told  him  I  was 
the  cause  of  all  the  trouble,  was  alone  responsible, 
and  offered  to  explain  everything." 

"  Ah,  I  see.  You  mean  you  offered  to  go  back 
with  him,  if  he  would  let  you  go  alone.  It  was  like 
you." 

She  started  and  glanged  quickly  at  me.  "  I  did 
not  say  that." 


WHAT  HAPPENED   IN   THE   NIGHT     117 

"  No.  But  I  know  you,  and  where  you  are  con- 
cerned can  make  a  guess." 

"  You  would  have  been  free,  Burgwan;  and  I  could 
have  cleared  matters." 

"  He  was  a  fool,  or  he  would  have  guessed  and 
accepted  the  offer.' 

"  What  do  you  mean?    Guessed  what?  " 

"  That  the  moment  I  woke  I  should  have  ridden 
back  to  the  camp." 

"  Burgwan ! " 

"  Do  you  think  I  should  have  left  you  in  the  lurch  ? 
It's  not  the  way  we  treat  women  in  England,  or  in 
America." 

"  But  you  don't  understand.  I  should  have  been 
in  no  danger.  Once  under  Austrian  protection  I 
could  have  explained." 

"Explained  what?" 

"  Who  I  am.     You  have  never  asked  me." 

"  I  do  not  care.  When  you  wish  me  to  know,  you 
will  tell  me;  and  When  I  wish  to  know,  I  will  ask.  I 
can  wait.  I  know  what  you  are — to  me." 

Either  she  did  not  catch  the  last  words,  for  I  had 
dropped  my  voice,  or  she  affected  not  to  hear.  She 
said  nothing  and  when  we  reached  the  top  of  the  hill 
we  rattled  on  again  quickly. 

When  we  drew  rein  at  the  next  hill  we  walked  half 
way  to  the  top  in  silence  and  then  she  broke  it 
abruptly : 

"  I  will  tell  you  if  you  wish,  Burgwan." 

"  I  do  not.  To  me  you  are  Mademoiselle :  to  you 
I  am  Burgwan;  and  Mademoiselle  and  Burgwan  we 
can  best  remain,  until  we  are  out  of  this  bother." 


H8  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

11  How  far  do  you  think  we  are  from  Samac  ?  " 

"  We  ought  not  to  be  more  than  a  dozen  miles  at 
most — but  that's  not  much  more  than  a  guess." 

"  When  we  reach  there,  we  shall  part." 

"  You  will  be  glad  to  be  on  the  safe  road  to  Bel- 
grade." 

"  Is  that  another  guess,  Burgwan?  " 

"  Yes,  it's  another  guess,  Mademoiselle." 

"  Do  you  think  it's  a  good  one?  " 

"  Yes.  You  would  be  an  extraordinary  woman  if 
it  were  not.  I  wish  with  all  my  heart  we  were  safely 
there." 

"  Then  I  wish  it,  too,"  she  answered,  with  a  ges- 
ture. A  long  pause  followed  until  she  said,  "  Yes, 
I  do  wish  it.  I  had  forgotten  how  ill  you  are  and 
how  sorely  you  need  rest." 

"  I  suppose  it  sounded  as  though  I  was  thinking 
of  myself." 

"  Not  to  me ;  you  never  seem  to  think  of  yourself 
— at  least  during  our  comradeship." 

"  I  like  that  word — comradeship.  Thank  you  for 
it." 

"  It  has  been  a  strange  one,  Burgwan.  How  good 
you  have  been.  And  I  took  you  at  first  for  a — a 
peasant,  and  even  once  for  a  brigand." 

"  There  are  worse  folk  in  the  world  than  peasants 
— or  brigands  either  for  that  matter." 

"  What  trouble  I  have  brought  to  you." 

"  We  shall  have  the  more  to  laugh  over  when  we 
meet  again." 

"  We  shall  not  meet  again,  Burgwan,"  she  said, 
so  seriously  and  deliberately  that  I  thought  I  could 


WHAT   HAPPENED   IN   THE   NIGHT     119 

detect  a  touch  of  sadness.  Perhaps  I  only  hoped  it, 
and  the  hope  cheated  me.  I  answered  lightly, 

"  One  never  knows.  The  world's  a  small  place 
now.  You  might  come  to  America  some  day." 

"  No,  no.  That  is  impossible,"  she  interjected 
quickly. 

"  Then  I  might  go  to  Belgrade." 

"  No,  no,"  she  exclaimed  again  in  the  same  quick 
tone.  "  That  too  must  be  impossible." 

"  Impossible  is  a  word  we  are  going  to  wipe  out  of 
the  American  dictionary,"  I  replied,  with  a  smile. 
"  We  shall  see ;  but  as  we  are  at  the  top  of  the  hill 
we'll  hurry  on  to  Samac — the  first  stage,  whether 
for  America  or  Belgrade." 

She  turned  as  if  to  say  something,  her  face  very 
grave  and  earnest,  but  after  a  moment's  hesitation 
shook  up  her  reins  and  we  cantered  on. 

But  a  good  deal  was  to  happen  before  we  reached 
Samac;  the  first  stage,  as  I  had  so  glibly  named  it. 
We  had  some  few  miles  of  easy  going  when  the  path 
became  very  difficult  and  branched  suddenly  in  three 
directions.  I  picked  out  that  which,  judging  by  the 
compass,  promised  to  lead  us  straight  to  Samac.  But 
instead  of  that,  when  we  had  followed  it  for  an  hour 
or  more  we  found  it  cut  by  a  broad,  swift-flowing 
river. 

The  path  led  right  down  to  the  water's  edge  and 
rose  from  it  on  the  other  side;  but  the  river  was  in 
flood  from  the  recent  heavy  rains,  and-  the  ford  was 
impassable.  Karasch  and  I  both  tried  to  cross,  on 
horseback  first  and  then  on  foot,  but  failed;  and  then 
we  rode  along  the  bank  searching  for  a  fordable  spot. 


120  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

But  this  only  led  us  into  worse  disaster.  We  came 
to  a  spot  where  another  stream,  itself  as  fierce  and 
swift  and  broad,  joined  the  first.  We  were  cut  off 
hopelessly. 

We  had  lost  precious  hours  in  this  way.  It  was 
long  past  the  dawn;  and  to  make  matters  even  worse 
I  could  find  no  trace  of  the  streams  on  the  map  any- 
where near  Samac. 

It  was  an  awkward  plight  in  all  truth.  To  go  on 
was  impossible;  to  stay  where  we  were  for  the  waters 
to  subside  was  useless;  and  yet  to  go  back  was  only 
to  put  ourselves  once  more  on  the  road  where  we 
might  look  for  danger  from  those  we  knew  to  be  in 
pursuit  of  us.  The  hours  we  had  thus  wasted  had 
thrown  away  all  the  advantage  gained  by  the  night's 
riding. 

Yet  there  was  nothing  else  for  it ;  and  with  a  bitter 
sigh  and  somefhing  stronger  at  the  bad  luck,  I  gave 
the  word,  and  we  started  to  return. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FROM  BAD  TO  WORSE. 

The  crushing  disappointment  and  the  anxiety  it 
caused,  following  on  the  fatigue  of  the  long  ride, 
aggravated  the  injury  to  my  head  so  that  I  could 
scarcely  keep  in  the  saddle.  I  had  to  cling  to  the 
pommel  to  prevent  myself  from  falling. 

Mademoiselle  was  quick  to  see  my  condition. 

"  Let  us  rest,  Burgwan,"  she  said. 

"  No,  we  must  push  on.  They  may  get  ahead  of 
us.  I  shall  be  better  again  directly." 

"  I  am  too  tired,"  she  answered;  and  without  wait- 
ing to  'hear  my  protest,  she  slipped  from  her  horse. 

"  You  must  not  do  that,"  I  exclaimed,  irritably. 

"  Karasch's  arm  is  bad  too,"  she  replied.  "  Isn't 
it,  Karasch  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  paining  me,  Burgwan,"  he  declared 
then.  "I  cannot  go  any  further;"  and  he  dis- 
mounted and  came  to  help  me. 

"  Then  I'll  ride  on  and  find  the  road  and  return," 
I  said. 

"  No,"  exclaimed  Karasch,  as  he  seized  my  horse's 
bridle. 

"  Stand  away,  Karasdi,"  I  cried,  angrily.  I  was 
more  like  a  fractious,  obstinate  child  just  then  than 
a  reasoning  man.  I  felt  I  was  too  weak  to  go  on 
and  was  angry  with  them  both  because  I  could  not 
hide  it. 


122  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  You  must  get  off,  Burgwan,"  he  returned,  firmly. 

"  I'll  break  your  other  arm  if  you  don't  loose  my 
bridle,  Karasch." 

"  Then  I'll  hold  it.  You  won't  break  mine,  Burg- 
wan,"  said  Mademoiselle,  taking  it  quickly.  "  Hold 
my  horse,  Karasch.  I  am  faint  for  want  of  food  and 
rest,  Burgwan.  Won't  you  help  me?" 

"  You  are  only  doing  this  because  you  think  I'm 
such  a  weak  fool  as  not  to  be  able  to  keep  going,"  I 
declared,  angrily.  "  Please  to  loose  that  bridle, 
Mademoiselle." 

"  Not  until  you  break  my  arm,  Burgwan." 

I  sat  still  looking  with  a  child's  sullen  anger  into 
her  clear,  calm,  resolute  eyes. 

"  If  you  were  a  man.  .  .  ."I  began  and  then 
laughed.  "  I'm  a  fool  and  that's  all  there  is  to  it. 
I'll  get  off — but  I  won't  forgive  you.  This  is 
mutiny."  I  rolled  from  the  saddle  and  was  glad  of 
the  help  of  Karasch's  sturdy  arm.  "  You  don't  seem 
very  weak,  you  coward,"  I  said,  half  in  earnest,  half 
in  jest. 

"  That's  not  the  broken  arm,  Burgwan,"  he  re- 
plied, as  he  helped  me  with  the  gentleness  of  a  girl. 

"  I'm  all  right  and  could  ride  fifty  miles,"  I  pro- 
tested angrily  as  I  sat  down;  and  then  in  proof  of  it, 
I  fell  back  and  fainted  from  sheer  weakness. 

When  I  came  to  myself  Mademoiselle  was  bathing 
my  face  and  head,  deep  pity  and  care  in  her  eyes. 

"  I'm  horribly  ashamed  of  myself,"  I  murmured. 

"  It's  a  good  thing  you  didn't  break  my  arm,  Burg- 
wan, isn't  it?"  she  said,  smiling. 

"  I  was  angry.     I  wanted  to  go  on.     I'm  sorry." 


FROM   BAD    TO    WORSE  123 

"  It  was  mutiny,  you  know.  You  feel  better 
now?" 

"  Oh,  yes.     I  can  sit  up.     Was  I  long?  " 

"  Only  a  few  minutes.  Karasch  has  tethered  the 
horses  and  is  getting  us  something  to  eat.  Do  you 
know,  I  was  never  so  hungry  in  my  life  before?  "  and 
she  laughed  brightly. 

"  We're  in  a  desperate  mess,"  said  I,  gloomily. 

"  We  should  have  been  in  a  worse  if  we  had  gone 
on." 

"  Rub  it  in.      You  got  your  own  way,  you  know." 

"  I  meant  to  have  it;  and  I'm  not  going  to  put  my 
foot  in  the  stirrup  again  until  you  have  had  some- 
thing to  eat  and  have  slept  for  at  least  two  or  three 
hours." 

"  You  have  a  very  masterful  way  of  your  own." 

She  nodded  and  smiled  to  me.  "  But  the  point  is 
whether  you  are  going  to  obey  without  more — 
mutiny." 

"  You  seem  to  take  this  for  a  kind  of  picnic." 

"  Here's  breakfast  at  any  rate,"  she  cried,  as  Kar- 
asdi  came  up. 

"  Put  it  down  here,  Karasch,  and  get  one  of  the 
saddles  to  prop  Burgwan  up." 

"  I  can  sit  up  without  anything,  I  assure  you." 

"  Who  did  you  say  was  masterful  ?  " 

I  gave  in  with  a  smile  and  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders 
and  let  them  arrange  the  saddle,  and  found  it  very 
comfortable. 

It  was  poor  fare.  Some  hard  biscuits,  a  tin  of 
preserved  meat,  and  some  water  from  the  river;  but 
it  could  not  have  been  enjoyed  with  more  relish  if 


124  THE    QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

it  had  been  the  best  breakfast  that  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  chef  could  have  sent  up. 

Mademoiselle's  cheerfulness  in  the  strange  and  de- 
pressing circumstances  was  positively  dauntless.  She 
would  see  nothing  but  the  brightest  side  of  things. 
We  were  lost  on  the  hills;  but  then  it  would  be  so 
much  the  more  difficult  for  any  one  to  find  us.  The 
food  was  rough,  but  we  had  plenty  to  last  us  for  all 
that  day  and  part  of  the  next.  The  loss  of  time 
might  be  dangerous,  but  we  all  needed  rest  and 
could  take  it  without  risk  where  we  were.  We  did 
not  know  where  to  look  for  the  road  to  Samac,  but 
we  should  be  sure  to  find  a  way  somewhere.  And 
meanwhile  we  were  getting  stronger  and  so  better 
able  to  face  the  trouble. 

Even  Karasch's  stern  face  relaxed  under  her  in- 
fluence. And  as  for  me — well,  I  rolled  over  on  the 
•soft  grass  when  she  told  me,  and  having  put  old 
Chris  on  the  watch,  went  off  to  sleep  as  contentedly 
as  though  her  view  of  the  position  and  not  mine  were 
the  true  one. 

I  slept  for  some  hours.  I  woke  once  and  looked 
round  to  find  Karasch  lying  on  his  back  at  some  dis- 
tance, snoring  in  a  deep  stertorous  diapason;  and 
Mademoiselle  curled  up  fast  asleep  peacefully  with 
Chris  lying  at  her  feet.  The  hot  sun  was  pouring 
down  on  the  liills  and  crags  around  us;  and  I 
stretched  myself  lazily  and  was  soon  off  again  in  deep 
refreshing  slumber. 

When  I  awoke  again  I  was  alone  to  my  great  sur- 
prise. The  horses  were  grazing  near  me  tethered; 


FROM   BAD    TO    WORSE  125 

but  even  Chris  was  away  somewhere;  and  I  sat  up 
wondering  in  some  confusion  what  it  meant. 

A  glance  at  my  watch  showed  it  was  two  hours 
and  more  past  noon  and  that  I  must  have  slept  for 
six  or  seven  hours.  I  felt  immensely  refreshed.  The 
pain  in  my  head  was  so  slight  as  to  be  inconsiderable, 
and  although  my  leg  was  stiff,  I  could  move  about 
freely. 

Feeling  in  my  pockets  I  found  a  couple  of  cigars 
in  my  case,  and  lighted  one  to  think  over  things.  I 
was  smoking  it  with  a  rare  relish  when  I  saw  Made- 
moiselle coming  from  the  direction  of  the  river  with 
Chris  in  close  attendance.  How  the  old  rascal  had 
taken  to  her!  I  went  to  meet  them;  and  as  I  ap- 
proached, the  dog  came  running  to  fawn  upon  me 
and  then  rushed  back  to  fawn  upon  her;  and  looked 
from  one  to  the  other  of  us  as  though  our  comrade- 
ship, as  she  had  termed  it,  was  just  the  loveliest  thing 
in  the-  world  to  him. 

"  Chris  seems  to  approve  our  comradeship,  Ma- 
demoiselle," I  said,  marvelling  how  on  earth  she 
managed  to  look  so  fresh  and  sweet  after  her  rough- 
and-tumble  experiences  during  the  last  forty  hours. 
Her  soft,  glossy  hair  was  as  neatly  arranged  as 
though  she  had  just  come  from  her  room,  her  dress 
was  in  such  order  that  so  far  as  I  could  see  not  a 
thing  was  out  of  place. 

"  He  has  been  with  me  to  the  river  on  guard.  I 
had  no  idea  it  was  so  difficult  to  wash  in  a  river,  and 
to  do  one's  hair  out  of  doors  and  without  a  glass." 

"  iYou  have  been  very  successful.    You  put  me  to 


126  THE    QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

shame  sadly,"  and  I  glanced  down  in  dismay  at  my- 
self. "  And  you  are  so  bright  and  sunny." 

"  There  is  good  news.  Our  luck  has  turned. 
Karasch  found  a  peasant  who  was  crossing  the  hills 
and  is  learning  from  him  our  route.  They  are  on  the 
hill  yonder." 

"  Thank  God  for  that,"  I  said,  fervently. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  is  good  news,"  she  replied  in  a 
tone  which  made  me  glance  quickly  at  her.  Then 
she  .added,  after  a  pause :  "  You  look  much  better  for 
your  rest,  Burgwan." 

"  I  feel  a  different  man." 

"  Kindly  disposed  toward  masterful  rebels  ?  " 

"  Yes;  and  very  grateful  to  one  of  them." 

"  I  thought  you  were  actually  going  to  strike  Kar- 
asch when  he  held  your  bridle  rein  this  morning." 

"  I  felt  like  it,  too." 

"  I  think  he  is  afraid  of  you,  Burgwan.  It  was  you 
who  broke  his  arm,  wasn't  it?  " 

"  He  broke  it  in  a  fall."  She  paused  and  glanced 
at  me. 

"  He  told  me  all  about  that  fall,  and  what  he  meant 
to  do,  if  you  hadn't  beaten  him.  It  was  for  me  you 
risked  your  life  in  that  fight." 

"  Karasdh  ought  to  hold  his  tongue." 

We  reached  the  spot  where  we  had  rested,  and  sat 
down  to  wait  for  Karasch. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  this  morning,"  she  said, 
slowly. 

"  We  all  have  some  thinking  to  do  before  we  are 
out  of  our  plight." 

"  You  call  this  a  plight,"  and  she  smiled.    "  Why, 


FROM   BAD    TO    WORSE  127 

see  what  a  lovely  wild  country  it  is.  I  could  live  in 
these  hills — live,  I  mean,  in  the  sense  of  keen,  rare 
enjoyment.  Look."  She  pointed  from  one  hill  to 
another  with  kindling  eye.  "  The  freedom  of  it. 
The  very  air  is  different  from  all  other." 

"  I  should  like  some  clean  clothes,"  I  put  in,  flip- 
pantly. 

"  Don't."  And  she  gestured  and  frowned.  "  I 
want  you  to  feel  what  it  must  be  to  me,  and  then  to 
think,  as  I  was  thinking  a  while  since,  what  would 
have  been  my  fate — if  it  had  not  been  for  you.  And 
you  call  this  a  plight!  It  is  like  Heaven  in  com- 
parison !  " 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  exaggerate  what  I  did." 

"  I  am  not  exaggerating  it,"  s'he  replied  deliber- 
ately. "  I  don't.  I  could  not.  You  risked  your  life 
for  me  and  saved  me.  Not  only  when  you  rescued 
me  from  the  two  men,  but  afterwards  with  Karasch; 
and  yet  again  afterwards  when  you  were  hurt.  Could 
I  exaggerate  that,  Burgwan  ?  Can  I  ever  repay  it  ?  " 

She  was  so  earnest  in  the  desire  to  make  me  feel 
her  gratitude  and  looked  at  me  with  such  sweet 
graciousness,  that  I  came  within  an  ace  of  telling  her 
how  she  could  repay  me.  The  very  words  rushed 
to  my  lips  only  to  be  stayed  by  an  effort  as  I  dropped 
my  eyes  before  her.  I  could  not  speak  of  this  while 
she  was  still  dependent  upon  my  help. 

"  What  a  long  time  Karasch  is,"  I  said  clumsily 
after  a  long  pause,  not  knowing  indeed  what  else  to 
say. 

I  felt  her  eyes  still  upon  me.     She  made  a  slight 


128  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

gesture  of  dissatisfaction  and  her  voice  had  an  accent 
of  resentment. 

"  You  are  anxious  to  get  to  your  clean  clothes 
and  all  that  they  stand  for — in  exchange  for  this." 

"  You  are  not  content  with  this?  " 

"  I  could  be,"  she  murmured,  with  a  sigh. 

"  I  don't  understand  you." 

"  No.     I  suppose  not.     You  haven't  the  key." 

"  You  can  have  no  reason  to  be  afraid  to  go  back 
J  Belgrade.  I  know  that,  because  at  the  camp  you 
were  so  anxious  to  start.  Your  sighs  then  were  of 
discontent  because  you  couldn't  start  at  once." 

"You  remember?"  She  smiled  slowly,  and  then 
grew  serious.  "  No,  it  is  not  exactly  fear,  and  yet — 
I  suppose  in  a  way  it  is  fear.  It  is  certainly  reluct- 
ance. Oh,  I  see  what  you  mean."  She  broke  off, 
smiling  very  brightly  this  time.  "  That  there  may 
be  some  reason  connected  with  the  cause  of  my  cap- 
ture which  threatens  me:  that  I  have  committed 
some  offence  or " 

"  No,  no,  I  don't  think  anything  of  the  sort,"  I 
interposed. 

"  No,  I'm  not  a  criminal,  not  even  a  political  crim- 
inal, Burgwan — and  not  even  a  witch."  The  smile 
became  a  free  and  joyous  laugh,  and  I  joined  in  and 
laughed  also. 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  about  the  witchcraft,  Made- 
moiselle." 

"  If  I  were  a  witch  I  should  know  all  about  you 
and  I — yes,  I  should  like  to,  and  yet  I  would  rather 
not.  We  can  be  so  frank  while  you  are  just  Burg- 
wan.  It  is  all  so  strange,  this  comradeship  of  ours. 


FROM   BAD    TO    WORSE  129 

I  shall  never  forget  it.  Shall  you — even  when  you 
get  to  those  clean  clothes  that  are  so  much  in  your 
thoughts?" 

"  Im  not  likely  to  change  my  thoughts  even  when 
I  change  my  clothes." 

"  What  a  time  Karasch  is,"  s'he  laughed,  throwing 
back  my  own  words  at  me.  "  Keeping  you  from  the 
tailor  and  the  barber  in  this  way ! " 

"  He  is  keeping  you  from  Belgrade — a  much  more 
serious  matter." 

"  I  don't  mind  that — and  yet  I  suppose  I  ought  to. 
But  this  is  so  delightful,"  she  cried,  joyously. 

"This?" 

"  This  delicious  freedom.  This  utter  irresponsi- 
bility. This  Burgwan  and  Mademoiselle  comrade- 
ship. This  being  able  to  laugh  at  conventions  and 
snap  one's  fingers  in  the  face  of  restrictions — the 
thousand  petty  '  don'ts '  and  '  mustn'ts '  that  edge 
one  in  so,  till  one's  very  breath  has  to  be  drawn  with 
restraint  and  every  look  and  gesture  fitted  to  some 
occasion  and  empty  etiquette.  How  I  wish  I  was 
just  no  more  than  a  peasant  girl !  Oh,  it  is  life." 

"  There  are  plenty  of  them  who  would  be  glad  to 
change  places  with  you." 

"  Yes,  I  know  I  am  talking  nonsense,  and  I  dare 
say  I  should  grow  tired  of  it  all  in  a  week  or  a  month, 
and  sicken  for  the  flummery  and  mummery  again. 
Besides,  there  might  be  no  Burgwan  like  you  and  no 
Chris  in  the  picture,  to  feel  safe  with  and  trust.  I 
couldn't  do  with  only  Karasch's,  could  I  ?  " 

"  He  is  a  very  good  fellow,  and  might  make  a  very 
good  husband." 


130  THE   QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

"  Oh,  don't,  please.  Now  you've  shattered  the 
dream,  and  made  me  wish  for  Belgrade  and  my 
friends." 

Did  she  mean  all  I  was  ready  to  read  into  that  sen- 
tence? Was  it  intended  as  a  warning  lest  another 
than  Karasch  should  presume?  I  was  glad  I  had 
held  my  tongue  just  before.  When  I  did  not  reply, 
she  stooped  and  patted  the  dog  and  then  laughed. 

"  I  wish  you  were  my  dog,  Chris,"  she  said.  "  I 
shall  get  one  just  like  him  and  call  him  Chris." 

"  Would  you  like  to  change  masters,  Chris?  "  He 
drew  himself  lazily  across  the  grass  at  my  words  and 
thrust  his  nose  into  my  hand  almost  as  if  understand- 
ing my  question  and  answering  it.  "  I  will  give  him 
to  you  if  you  like,  Mademoiselle." 

But  she  shook  'her  head.  "  No.  No,  no,  no,"  she 
cried. 

"Why  not?" 

She  called  him  back  to  her  side  and  caressed  him 
before  she  answered,  and  then  spoke  very  slowly. 

"  I  don't  think  I  know  why.  I  would  rather  have 
him  than  anything  in  the  world,  but  I  couldn't  take 
him.  I — I  couldn't  bear  to  have  him,  I  think." 

"  You  may  change  your  mind  wfaen  you  see  him 
next  time."  She  bent  over  him  again  and  patted 
him  and  let  him  lick  her  hand. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  know  what  you  mean,  Burgwan — 
that  you  think  of  coming  some  day  to  Belgrade.  I 
hope  you  never  will." 

"Why?" 

"  It  would  not  do.  Oh,  no,  no,  a  thousand  times 
no.  It  is  so  difficult  to  explain.  Here  we  are  Burg- 


FROM   BAD    TO    WORSE  131 

wan  and  Mademoiselle;  and  there — well,  for  one 
thing,  you  would  have  your  clean  clothes,"  and  she 
broke  off  with  a  smile  partly  quizzical  and  partly  of 
dismay;  and  then  added:  "You  would  look  for 
Mademoiselle  and  would  only  find  .  .  ."  she 
finished  with  a  shake  of  the  head  and  a  sigh. 

"You  think  I  should  be  disappointed?" 

"  You  must  not  come,  Burgwan.  There  would 
be  no  Mademoiselle  in  Belgrade." 

"  Chris  may  wish  to  see  his  successor.  He  is  a 
masterful  dog,  you  know,"  I  said  with  a  smile. 

"  This  is  no  jest,  Burgwan.  I  wish  you  would 
promise  me  not  to  come  there.  Ah,  here  comes 
Karasch.  Promise  me,  Burgwan; "  and  in  her 
eagerness  she  leant  across  and  laid  a  hand  on  my  arm, 
the  earnestness  of  her  manner  showing  in  her  eyes. 

"  I  cannot  promise,"  I  answered. 

She  drew  her  hand  away  with  a  gesture  of  impa- 
tience and  said,  as  she  rose :  "  That  is  not  like  Burg- 
wan. The  very  mention  of  Belgrade  has  changed 
you." 

"  Not  changed  me.  I  have  always  meant  to  go," 
I  replied.  As  I  got  up  Karasch  reached  us,  and  there 
was  no  chance  to  say  more. 

He  explained  that  the  peasant  had  been  pointing 
out  the  way  to  him  and  was  willing  to  lead  us  to  the 
proper  road. 

The  horses  were  saddled  at  once  and  when  they 
were  ready,  I  went  to  Mademoiselle,  who  had  been 
standing  apart  gazing  at  the  rugged  scenery  with  in- 
tense enjoyment. 

"Are  we  ready,  Burgwan?" 


132  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  Yes;  we  may  start  now." 

"  I  am  almost  sorry,  I  think,"  she  said,  looking 
about  her  wistfully.  "  But  it's  all  over." 

"  Except  the  comradeship." 

"  No,  not  even  excepting  that.  You  will  get  your 
clean  clothes  and  I  all  the  conventions  once  more 
and — all  that  they  mean.  I  am  ready; "  and  she 
sighed. 

I  helped  her  into  the  saddle. 

"  And  it  was  only  yesterday  I  would  not  let  you 
help  me  to  mount.  It  seems  a  year  ago,"  she  said. 
"  You  gave  me  that  lesson  in  will  power ;  but  I  beat 
you  this  morning,  Burgwan,  and  had  my  revenge." 

"  Do  you  mean  about  my  going  to  Belgrade?  "  I 
challenged. 

"Ah,  you  will  promise  me  then?" 

"  If  I  promised  I  should  only  break  my  word." 

"  Promise,  and  I  will  trust  you — for  the  sake  of 
the  comradeship." 

"  Then  I  will  not  promise. 

"  You  will  force  me  to  tell  you  things  that  will 
compel  you  to  promise.  And  it  will  be  kinder  not 
to  force  me.  Oh,  so  much  kinder." 

"  You  puzzle  me." 

"  Will  you  promise  ?  Burgwan  ?  "  she  urged, 
pleadingly. 

"  I  cannot." 

"  Oh,  that  hard  will  of  yours !  "  and  wheeling  her 
horse  round  she  rode  off  after  Karasch  and  the  guide, 
leaving  me  to  follow. 

What  did  she  mean?  What  could  she  tell  that 
would  convince  me  a  future  meeting  must  be 


FROM  BAD    TO    WORSE  133 

avoided?  What  reason  could  there  be  on  her  side? 
What  could  she  think  there  might  be  on  mine? 
These  and  a  hundred  questions  arising  out  of  them 
plagued  me  during  the  ride ;  and  none  of  the  answers 
that  suggested  themselves  could  satisfy  me. 

But  I  was  soon  to  have  other  matters  for  thought. 
The  guide  put  us  in  the  right  road  for  Samac,  which 
he  told  us  was  about  fifteen  miles  distant  through  a 
place  called  Poabja;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  left  us 
we  rattled  over  the  ground  at  a  sharp  canter. 

For  one  thing,  I  was  very  uneasy  about  the 
Austrian  officer  whom  we  had  treated  so  drastically 
on  the  previous  night.  If  he  was  found  and  liber- 
ated, and  raised  a  hue  and  cry  after  us  there  would 
probably  be  some  very  awkward  consequences;  while 
if  he  was  not  liberated  soon,  his  very  life  might  be 
jeopardised.  My  intention  was  to  send  a  search 
party  after  him  as  soon  as  we  reached  a  place  where 
that  could  be  done  without  risk  to  ourselves;  and  I 
was  confident  that  my  influence  in  Vienna  was  amply 
sufficient  to  cause  my  explanation  of  the  whole  affair 
to  be  accepted.  But  I  could  and  would  do  nothing 
until  I  was  certain  of  Mademoiselle's  safety. 

My  anxiety  increased  when  we  reached  the  outside 
of  Poabja;  and  I  kept  a  vigilant  lookout  for  any 
signs  that  the  news  of  our  arrival  could  have  pre- 
ceded us.  This  was  possible,  of  course.  We  had 
strayed  so  far  from  the  proper  road  and  had  stayed  so 
long  in  the  hills  that  if  Petrov  and  the  rest  from  the 
camp  had  followed  us  to  where  we  had  encountered 
the  Austrian,  and  had  continued  on  the  road  to 
Samac,  they  would  pass  through  Poabja  and  we 
might  easily  run  up  against  some  trouble,  even  with- 


134  THE   QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

out  the  complication  arising  out  of  the  official's  rough 
handling  by  us. 

I  soon  noticed  signs  which  I  did  not  like.  We 
began  to  meet  peasants  and  others  on  the  road;  and. 
I  observed  that  while  some  of  them  did  no  more 
than  stare  at  us  with  close  scrutiny,  others  started 
away  and  turned  their  backs  and  made  the  sign  of 
the  cross  as  we  passed. 

Karasch  noticed  this  also;  and  when  we  met  a 
couple  of  men  who  behaved  in  this  eccentric  fashion, 
he  glanced  from  the  men  to  Mademoiselle  and  from 
her  to  me. 

"  111  news  has  got  ahead  of  us,  Burgwan,"  he  said 
to  me  in  an  undertone.  "  We  had  better  avoid  the 
town.  You  saw  that  sign  of  the  cross !  " 

"  Go  back  and  question  the  men." 

"  Why  do  we  halt  ?  "  asked  Mademoiselle,  as  Kar- 
asch rode  back. 

"  We  must  make  certain  of  the  right  road,"  I 
answered. 

"  But  is  not  this  Poabja?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  we  know  we  are  right.  Samac  is  not  half 
a  dozen  miles  beyond." 

Karasch  came  back  wearing  an  anxious  look. 

"  To  avoid  the  town  will  cost  a  couple  of  leagues. 
But  I  think  we  should  take  that  route,"  he  said. 

"  Why  avoid  it  ?  We  have  lost  our  way  once," 
said  Mademoiselle. 

"  We  fear  trouble.  News  of  our  coming  is 
known,"  I  explained. 

"  Do  you  mean  about  the  officer  who  tried  to  stop 
us  last  night?  " 


FROM   BAD    TO    WORSE  135 

"  No — that  you  are  suspected  of  witchcraft." 

She  laughed.  "  I  have  nothing  to  fear  in  Poabja. 
I  will  find  means  to  charm  their  anger  into  friend- 
ship ;  "  and  she  settled  the  question  of  route  by  shak- 
ing her  reins  and  cantering  off  toward  the  straggling 
little  place. 

The  approach  lay  up  a  long,  winding  hill,  steep  in 
places,  and  as  we  rode  up  it  the  people  came  out  from 
the  houses  to  gaze  at  us.  Languid  curiosity  gave 
way  to  close  interest,  and  this  in  turn  quickened  into 
some  excitement.  Men  and  women  walked  up  the 
hill  abreast  of  us  and  some  few  ran  on  ahead. 

Near  the  top  of  the  hill  stood  an  inn  outside  which 
some  half  dozen  saddle  horses  were  hitched;  and 
when  the  riders  came  hurrying  out  I  was  scarcely  sur- 
prised to  see  Petrov  among  them  talking  and  gesticu- 
lating freely  to  his  companions. 

Men  began  to  call  then  one  to  the  other;  the  calls 
were  caught  up  on  many  sides,  at  first  intermittently 
but  swelling  gradually,  as  the  crowd  increased,  into  a 
coherent  cry  which  I  recognised  with  deep  mis- 
givings. 

"  The  Witch !    The  Witch !    The  Witch !  " 

I  regretted  that  we  had  taken  the  risk;  but  Made- 
moiselle only  smiled  even  when  the  cries  grew  louder 
and  more  angry  and  threatening,  and  hands  were 
raised  in  imprecations  and  revilings. 

"  Forward,"  I  cried.  "  We  must  get  through 
them."  But  to  my  dismay  Mademoiselle  hesitated. 

Then  Petrov  and  a  man  with  him  ran  and  placed 
themselves  in  front  of  'her  and  made  a  snatch  at  her 
bridle  rein.  Karasch  and  I  pushed  forward. 


136  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Stand  back  there,"  I  said. 

"  That  she  devil  can't  pass,  Burgwan,"  answered 
Petrov. 

I  stretched  forward  and  tore  his  grip  from  the  rein 
and  flung  him  reeling  back  into  the  crowd. 

A  score  of  hands  were  raised  in  menace  and  the 
cries  of  "  The  Witch !  Death  for  the  Witch  !  "  went 
up  all  around  us ;  while  the  circle  closed  in  ominously. 
A  stone  was  hurled  and  narrowly  missed  me  and  then 
some  dirt  was  thrown  at  Mademoiselle. 

That  was  more  than  I  was  taking.  If  we  were  to 
get  through  it  would  have  to  be  by  force.  So  I  drew 
my  revolver  and  called  to  Karasch  to  do  the  same. 

"  I'll  shoot  the  first  man  who  stops  me,"  I  shouted, 
and  for  a  moment  the  men  fell  back  before  the 
•weapons.  "  Now  is  our  chance.  Gallop  for  all  we're 
worth  and  we  shall  get  through." 

But  the  luck  was  against  us.  A  stone  struck 
Mademoiselle's  horse  and  he  reared  and  plunged  and 
then  fell.  In  a  second  she  was  in  the  grip  of  half  a 
dozen  men  and  before  Karasch  and  I  could  dismount 
and  get  to  her  assistance  we  were  separated  from  her 
by  the  crowd  and  seized  in  our  turn,  the  weapons 
were  struck  from  our  hands  and  we  were  over- 
powered. 

I  was  carried  into  a  house  close  to  the  inn,  my 
hands  and  legs  were  bound  and  I  was  thrust  into  a 
room  and  left  to  curse  my  folly  for  having  ventured 
into  the  place,  to  brood  over  the  dangers  to  Made- 
moiselle, and  to  breathe  impotent  vows  of  vengeance 
against  Petrov  and  every  one  concerned  in  our  cap- 
ture. 


CHAPTER  X. 

AT    POABJA. 

For  an  hour  and  more  I  was  left  to  gnash  my 
teeth  in  rage  as  I  tore  and  struggled  fruitlessly  to 
loosen  the  cords  that  bound  me.  In  that  hour  I 
endured  the  torments  such  as  even  hell  itself  could 
not  have  surpassed.  My  violent  struggles  inflamed 
the  hurt  to  my  head  until  it  throbbed  as  if  it  would 
split;  but  all  mere  physical  pain  was  lost  and  dead- 
ened in  the  surpassing  agony  of  mind. 

The  thought  of  that  sweet,  pure  girl  in  the  power 
of  these  crazy,  superstitious  fanatics  was  unendur- 
able; and  had  the  torture  continued  longer  it  would 
have  driven  me  mad.  Death  threatened  her  every 
minute  she  was  in  the  hands  of  frenzied  fools  such  as 
they  were;  and  a  hundred  possible  ways  in  which  they 
might  murder  her  occurred  to  me,  each  stimulating 
the  passion  of  my  fear  and  anguish. 

At  length  the  door  of  my  room  was  opened  and 
Petrov  and  another  man  entered.  The  sight  of  him 
so  maddened  me  that  I  strove  to  rise,  bound  though 
I  was,  to  wreak  my  fury  upon  him. 

"  No  harm  is  meant  to  you,  Burgwan,"  he  said. 

My  answer  was  a  volley  of  curses  and  threats  so 
vehement  and  furious  that  he  started  back  in  alarm. 

"  No  harm  is  meant  to  you,"  he  repeated. 


138  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Loose  these  cords  then,  to  prove  it,"  I  cried. 

His  companion  made  as  if  to  approach  me  when 
Petrov  held  him  back. 

"  Not  yet,"  he  said,  turning  pale  with  fear. 

"  It  doesn't  matter  when  you  do  it.  You  know 
me,  Petrov,  and  now  mark  this.  If  I  find  that  the 
least  harm  is  done  to  Mademoiselle,  I'll  make  you 
pay  the  price.  And  the  price  shall  be  your  life.  I'll 
hunt  you  down,  if  it  costs  me  all  I  have  in  the  world, 
and  when  I  find  you,  God  have  mercy  on  you,  I  won't. 
That  I  swear." 

"  She  is  a  witch,"  he  said,  doggedly. 

"  You  lie,  you  treacherous  snake.  And  if  you 
value  your  dirty  skin,  see  that  no  harm  comes  to 
her."  It  seemed  to  afford  me  some  kind  of  relief  to 
abuse  the  beast. 

"  You  told  me  so  yourself,"  he  declared  sullenly. 

"  Loose  these  cords  and  say  that  again,  and  I'll 
tear  your  lying  tongue  out  by  the  roots."  I  must 
have  been  beside  myself  to  talk  in  this  strain;  but  it 
had  its  effect  on  him. 

"  She  has  come  to  no  harm,"  he  said  then. 

"  You  may  thank  your  God  for  that — if  it's  true." 

"  It  is  true,"  declared  the  other  man.  "  We  came 
here  to  set  you  free." 

"  Do  it  then." 

"  Not  while  he  threatens  me,"  put  in  Petrov, 
quickly. 

"  I  know  nothing  about  that.  It's  the  priest's 
orders." 

I  pricked  up  my  ears  at  that  and  the  great  crush- 
ing weight  of  my  fears  began  to  lighten. 


AT  POABJA  139 

"  Say  that  again.  And  tell  me  what  it  means,"  I 
cried. 

"  She'll  only  be  taken  to  Maglai,"  said  Petrov. 

"  Say  that  again,"  I  repeated  to  his  companion. 

"  I  don't  know  what  it  means.  I  was  told  she 
had  confessed  to  being  a  witch  and  asked  for  the 
priest,  that  she  might  repent  and  be  shriven;  and 
then  we  were  told  to  come  to  unbind  you." 

"  Why  t'he  devil  didn't  you  say  so  then,  when  you 
came  in,  and  do  it  at  once?  " 

"  You're  too  violent." 

"  If  all's  well  with  her,  you  can  go  to  hell  your  own 
way."  The  relief  from  the  strain  was  so  intense  I 
felt  almost  hysterical  with  sudden  joy,  and  I  lay  back 
and  laughed  aloud.  The  two  men  stood  staring  at 
me  wonderingly. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  asked  Petrov's  companion. 

"  If  you  disobey  the  priest,  my  good  fellow,"  I  in- 
terposed, "  you'll  see  what  he  says  to  you,  and  I'll 
take  care  that  he  knows  of  it." 

Instead  of  replying,  they  left  the  room  and  fastened 
the  door  behind  them.  I  didn't  care  now  what  they 
did.  All  was  well  in  the  matter  that  had  troubled 
me.  Mademoiselle  was  unharmed  and  they  might 
do  with  me  as  they  pleased.  I  could  trust  myself  to 
get  out  of  any  trouble  when  once  I  was  in  communi- 
cation with  my  agents  in  Vienna. 

All  was  well  with  her  and  the  world  was  once  more 
a  place  to  smile  in. 

Then  I  began  to  piece  things  together  and  to 
figure  out  how  such  a  change  could  have  been 
effected.  Mademoiselle  herself  had  found  the  means 


140  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

of  doing  it  all.  I  recalled  her  phrase  about  charm- 
ing- away  the  anger  of  the  people  at  Poabja,  and  the 
way  in  which  she  had  cantered  on  fearlessly  when 
Karasch  and  I  'had  counselled  the  other  route  to 
avoid  passing  through  the  town.  She  must  nave 
had  a  strong  reason  for  her  confidence.  Brave  as 
she  certainly  was,  she  would  not  have  faced  such  a 
risk  voluntarily  unless  she  had  had  good  grounds  to 
know  she  would  pass  the  ordeal  successfully. 

Who  was  s'he  ?  What  influence  was  she,  a  Serb  of 
Belgrade,  likely  to  have  in  that  out-of-the-way  Bos- 
nian village?  On  whom  was  that  influence  exer- 
cised? The  man  said  she  had  confessed  to  her 
witchcraft  and  asked  for  the  priest  that  she  might 
repent  and  be  shriven.  The  priest  it  was  who  had 
ordered  my  release,  and  the  priest  it  must  be,  there- 
fore, through  whom  she  had  been  able  to  clear  her- 
self. 

How?  It  was  an  easy  inference  that  he  khew  her 
and  that  she  had  made  the  pretended  confession  so  as 
to  get  face  to  face  with  him.  But  why  had  she  told 
me  nothing  about  him?  "  I  have  nothing  to  fear  in 
Poabja,"  she  had  said ;  but  not  a  word  of  the  priest. 
And  then  I  thought  I  could  see  the  reason.  She  did 
not  wish  him  to  tell  me  who  she  was. 

Had  I  known  of  him  she  knew  I  should  have 
sought  him  out  first,  or  have  sent  for  him,  and  the 
secret  would  have  been  out  before  she  could  have 
cautioned  him  to  say  nothing.  Rather  than  that, 
she  had  risked  entering  the  place  and  facing  the 
crowd.  Yet  she  had  offered  once  to  tell  me  about 
herself.  At  that  point  the  apparent  inconsistency 


AT  POABJA  141 

beat  me;  and  the  only  guess  I  could  make  was  that 
she  had  anticipated  getting  to  the  priest  without  any 
such  trouble  as  that  which  had  befallen  us. 

I  was  more  than  content  to  lie  thene  thinking  in 
this  way.  It  pleased  me  to  let  my  fancy  run  at  ran- 
dom about  her.  I  cared  nothing  who  she  was.  To 
me  she  was  just  Mademoiselle;  and  I  wanted  to  know 
no  more.  She  had  come  into  my  life  to  stay;  and 
nothing  that  she  could  be,  and  nothing  she  could 
ever  do,  would  alter  that  all-supreme  fact  for  me. 

Two  days  before  I  had  never  seen  her.  Forty- 
eight  hours !  But  they  had  been  forty-eight  hours  of 
comradeship;  and  forty-eight  years  could  not  blot 
out  all  that  those  hours  had  held  for  me,  when  I  had 
been  in  succession  the  peasant  Burgwan,  the  brigand, 
and  then  the  trusted  comrade  and  friend. 

What  had  they  held  for  her?  I  would  have  given 
much  to  know.  Daring,  imperious,  rebellious,  yield- 
ing, solicitous,  and  at  last  utterly  content  to  trust  as 
she  had  been  in  turn;  what  feelings  lay  beneath  the 
surface?  How  was  I  to  read  that  conversation  oi« 
the  hillside?  Why  was  she  so  resolute  that  our 
parting  was  to  spell  permanent  separation;  that  I 
must  not  go  to  Belgrade,  and  must  never  seek  to 
see  her  again? 

I  had  not  given  the  promise  sought,  of  course.  I 
would  not  give  it.  What  would  she  say  if  I  told  her 
that  my  visit  to  Belgrade,  in  my  character  as  finan- 
cier was  already  arranged  and  that  my  hand  had  al- 
ready been  felt  in  that  unrestful  little  centre  of  Bal- 
kan policy.  Probably  she  knew  nothing  and  cared 
little  about  Balkan  politics  or  finance;  and  I  was  in- 


142  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

dulging  in  half  a  hundred  conjectures  of  her  reason 
for  my  keeping  away  from  Belgrade  when  the  two 
men  entered  my  room  and  brought  me  a  note. 

"  From  the  priest,"  said  one  of  them. 

But  it  was  not.     It  was  from  her. 

"  All  my  troubles  are  over  and  you  may  be  quite  at 
rest  about  me.  Give  your  word  not  to  hurt  the  man 
Petrov.  I  ask  this.  I  ask,  too,  that  you  will  con- 
sent to  remain  where  you  are  for  two  hours  longer. 
Will  you  do  this — a  last  favour?  For  all  you  have 
done  for  me  I  cannot  thank  you;  I  can  only  remem- 
ber. Do  you  think  me  graceless  and  a  churl  if  I  say 
our  comradeship  is  over  and  if  I  go  without  seeing 
you?  I  can  only  say  in  excuse,  I  must.  To  Burg- 
wan  from 

"  Mademoiselle." 

"  I  am  taking  Chris.  You  said  I  should  alter  my 
mind.  I  have.  I  will  treat  him  as  what  he  has 
been — one  of  the  comrades." 

I  read  the  letter  two  or  three  times.  At  first  with 
feelings  in  which  chilling  despair,  a  sense  of  ineffable 
loss,  and  intensely  bitter  regret  overpowered  me.  It 
stung  me  like  a  blow  in  the  face  that  she  could  go 
like  this,  without  even  a  touch  of  hands,  or  a  parting 
glance.  She  was  safe,  and  I  was  nothing,  or  less 
than  nothing  to  her.  But  at  the  second  and  third 
reading  very  different  thoughts  were  stirred.  A  hope 
sprang  to  life  in  my  heart  great  and  wild  enough  to 
dazzle  and  bewilder  me. 

Could  it  be,  not  that  she  careci  nothing  for  me  but 


AT   POABJA  143 

that  she  feared  for  herself  in  the  hour  of  parting? 
Dared  I  hope  that  ?  Did  she  fear  that  feelings,  which 
she  was  all  unwilling  to  shew,  would  force  them- 
selves out  in  despite  of  her  efforts  in  the  moment  of 
parting?  Was  it  from  that  part  of  herself,  from  her 
heart,  that  she  was  thus  running  away,  and  not  only 
from  me?  I  prayed  that  it  might  be  so. 

Then  a  colder  mood  followed,  cold  enough  to 
freeze  that  hope,  at  the  prompting  of  judgment.  She 
knew  nothing  of  me.  To  her  I  was  just  Burgwan; 
at  first  peasant,  then,  on  my  own  admission,  an  Amer- 
ican in  such  sordid  surroundings  as  might  well  make 
her  deem  me  a  mere  adventurer.  With  that  belief 
in  her  mind,  she  might  well  be  at  a  loss  how  to  part 
from  me — what  to  say  and  do,  and  whether  she 
ought  not  to  make  me  some  reward  for  what  I  had 
done. 

The  thought  bit  like  a  live  acid  with  its  intolerable 
sting;  and  yet  my  judgment  found  reason  after 
reason  in  support  of  it.  I  alternated  between  a  hot 
desire  to  rush  out  there  and  then  and  seek  her,  and  a 
stolid,  dogged  resolve  to  let  her  go  and  to  live  down 
the  mad  desire  to  see  her  and  explain  all. 

"  You  are  to  give  us  some  answer,"  said  the  man 
who  had  brought  the  letter.  The  two  had  been 
watching  me  in  silence  during  those  few  distraction- 
filled  minutes.  "  An  answer  concerning  Petrov 
here." 

"You  are  safe  from  me,  Petrov,"  I  replied.  "  I 
will  let  you  go,  but  keep  out  of  my  way  for  the 
future." 

"  I  meant  no  harm,  Burgwan,  on  my  soul  none  to 


144  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

you.  I  did  what  I  did  for  you,"  he  said,  and  stooped 
to  cut  the  cords  that  bound  my  feet.  "  I  did  wrong 
and  am  sorry." 

He  was  an  idiot,  but  he  couldn't  help  that;  and  I 
let  him  free  my  hands. 

"  Get  me  some  paper,"  I  said,  and  he  hurried  away 
and  returned  with  it.  My  hands  were  too  numbed 
from  the  cords  and  the  efforts  I  had  made  to  release 
myself  for  me  to  be  able  to  do  more  than  scratch 
senseless  hieroglyphics  on  the  paper.  I  could 
scarcely  hold  the  pencil,  indeed,  and  he  and  the  other 
man  chafed  them  until  the  blood  was  set  in  circula- 
tion. 

Even  after  some  minutes  of  this  I  could  only  write 
in  large,  uncouth  letters — a  sort  of  illiterate  scrawl 
which  was  no  more  than  a  caricature  of  my  hand- 
writing. But  time  was  pressing.  Mademoiselle 
might  be  gone  before  my  letter  could  reach  her,  so 
I  wrote  as  best  I  could. 

"  I  agree  on  condition  that  you  see  me.  Burg- 
wan." 

I  spelt  my  name  as  she  had  been  accustomed  to 
pronounce  it;  and  having  sent  Petrov  to  deliver  it, 
I  ordered  the  other  man  to  get  me  some  food  and 
milk. 

I  had  no  appetite;  but  I  had  eaten  nothing  for  many 
hours  and  knew  I  must  keep  up  my  strength;  so  I 
forced  myself  to  take  it.  The  milk  was  grateful 
enough,  for  I  was  feverish  and  consumed  with  thirst. 
But  all  the  time  I  was  waiting  impatiently  for 
Petrov's  return  with  the  answer  to  my  letter;  and  as 
soon  as  I  had  finished  the  meal  I  paced  up  and  down 
the  low,  narrow  room  feeling  like  a  caged  beast. 


AT   POABJA  145 

But  my  resolve  was  fixed.  She  should  not  go 
without  my  seeing  her;  and  when  minute  after  min- 
ute passed  and  Petrov  did  not  return,  I  could  barely 
keep  within  the  house,  and  was  seized  with  a  fierce 
longing  to  rush  off  to  the  priest's  house  and  find  her. 

At  length  the  suspense  and  restraint  passed  endur- 
ance, and  I  went  to  the  door  and  shouted  for  some- 
one. The  man  who  had  been  with  Petrov  came  in 
response. 

"  Who  is  the  priest  who  gave  you  your  orders?  " 

"  Father  Michel." 

"Where  does  he  live?" 

"  By  the  side  of  his  church  at  the  end  of  the  long 
street." 

"  How  far  is  it?  How  long  should  it  take  to  go 
there  and  return?" 

"  The  man  should  have  been  back  before  now.  I 
suppose  they  have  kept  him  while  an  answer  was 
written." 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  This  is  my  house.     I  keep  the  inn  next  door." 

"Where  is  my  horse?" 

"  Your  companion  has  them  all.  Karasch  is  his 
name,  isn't  it?  " 

I  had  forgotten  all  about  Karasch  in  my  anxiety. 

"  Where  is  he  and  the  horses  ?  " 

"  They  have  been  fed  in  my  stables.  There's  a 
bill  to  pay,"  he  added,  as  though  that  was  the  most 
important  feature  in  the  whole  case.  I  suppose  it 
was  to  him.  I  gave  him  a  gold  piece  and  told  him 
to  keep  the  change,  and  so  made  a  friend. 

"  Can  you  lead  me  to  the  priest's  house?  " 


146  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Of  course  I  can,  at  need.  But  I  was  told  you 
were  going  to  remain  here  a  couple  of  hours.  It  is 
nothing  to  me." 

"  See  if  Petrov  is  coming,"  I  said  next.  His  words 
had  recalled  Mademoiselle's  letter;  and  I  was  still 
anxious  to  do  what  she  had  asked. 

He  went  out  and  after  a  minute  or  two,  returned. 

"  He  is  coming  down  the  hill  now,"  he  announced. 

"  You  can  go  then." 

"  I  shall  be  at  hand  if  you  want  me,"  he  answered, 
and  shut  the  door  behind  him. 

Petrov  came  a  minute  later  and  had  a  letter. 

I  tore  it  open  with  trembling  fingers. 

"Will  you  wait  for  me?     Mademoiselle." 
*    I  breathed  a  sigh  of  intense  relief,  and  looking  up, 
caught  Petrov's  eyes  bent  upon  me.     As  he  met  my 
look  he  lowered  his  face. 

"  You  can  go,"  I  said,  curtly. 

"  I  want  to  serve  you  still,  Burgwan." 

"  I  have  no  need  for  you.     Go." 

'  There  is  money  due  to  me." 

"How  much?" 

He  named  a  sum  and  I  gave  it  him,  saying  that 
rightfully  he  had  forfeited  it  by  his  disobedience. 
He  counted  it  slowly  as  if  to  make  sure  it  was  right. 

"  I  want  to  serve  you  still,  Burgwan,"  he  repeated. 

"  I  tell  you  I  have  no  need  for  you." 

"  About  that  Austrian  Government  officer,  Burg- 
wan, Captain  Hanske?"  It  was  said  with  sly  sug- 
gestiveness. 

"Well?" 

"  Where  is  he  ?     He  stayed  with  you  and  has  not 


AT   POABJA  147 

been  seen  again.  No  one  but  me  knows  you  saw 
him  last" 

I  laughed. 

"Are  you  threatening  me?" 

"  No.     I  want  to  serve  you.     Is  he  dead  ?  " 

"  You  insolent  dog.     No." 

"  What  did  you  do  with  him  ?  I've  kept  my  lips 
closed." 

"  Closed  or  open  it's  all  one  to  me.  Say  what  you 
like  to  whom  you  like.  But  get  away  from  here." 

"  I  want  to  serve  you,  Burgwan.  You  can  pay. 
Not  only  about  him,  but  about  that,  too; "  and  he 
pointed  to  the  letter. 

"What  the  devil  do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  was  a  long  time  gone,  wasn't  I?  " 

"  Well  ?  "  His  manner  and  tone  were  full  of  sug- 
gestion. 

"  I  can  serve  you.  I  can  help  you  to  get  those 
three  thousand  gulden !  " 

"  Three  thousand  gulden ! "  I  exclaimed,  utterly 
at  a  loss  for  his  meaning." 

"  Yes,  the  three  thousand  waiting  to  be  paid  at 
Maglai" 

Then  I  understood  and  burst  into  a  laugh. 

"  I  think  you're  making  a  pretty  considerable  ass 
of  yourself,  Petrov;  but  I'll  listen  to  you." 

"  You  meant  to  take  her  to  Maglai,  you  and  Kar- 
asch.  You  knew  she  was  no  witch  and  meant  to 
earn  the  reward.  Well,  I  can  help  you  now,  if  you'll 
give  me  my  share." 

My  first  impulse  was  to  kick  him  out  of  the  room 
and  I  started  angrily  to  obey  it;  but  then  a  very  dif- 


148  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

fcrent  thought  stopped  me.  He  knew  something 
that  I  ought  to  know.  He  took  me  for  a  scoundrel 
enough  to  betray  Mademoiselle  in  this  way  and 
thought  he  could  sell  this  knowledge  of  his  at  the 
price  of  a  share  in  the  reward. 

"  Why  were  you  so  long  away?  "  I  asked,  seizing 
on  the  vital  point. 

"  What  share  am  I  to  have?  " 

"  Half  the  reward  when  I  receive  it." 

"  You  swear  that?  "  he  asked  slowly. 

"  Tell  me  what  you  know,"  I  cried,  sternly. 

"  Does  she  say  she'll  come  here  ?  "  he  asked,  point- 
ing again  at  the  note  in  my  hand. 

"  Yes." 

"  Ah.  She's  gone  and  if  we're  to  get  her  into  our 
possession  again  we  shall  have  to  be  quick." 

"Gone?  Where?"  I  exclaimed,  aghast  at  the' 
check. 

He  threw  up  his  hands. 

"  To  Samac.  But  you  haven't  taken  that  oath 
about  my  share." 

'  You  infernal  villain.  Do  you  think  I  mean  to 
harm  her?  Out  of  the  way;  "  and  dashing  him 
aside,  I  called  for  the  other  man  and  told  him  I  must 
have  my  horse  at  once. 

Then  I  turned  back  to  Petrov. 

"  How  long  has  she  been  gone?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  shan't  say.     I've  lied  to  you,  Burgwan." 

"  Here;  "  and  I  took  out  some  gold  pieces.  "  These 
are  yours  if  you  tell  the  truth." 

"  She's  gone  on  the  road  to  Samac,  Burgwan,  in 
a  carriage  which  the  priest  found  for  her,  and  has 


AT   POABJA  149 

about  half  an  hour's  start.     They  kept  me  from  com- 
ing back  to  you." 

Karasch  came  up  then  with  his  horse  and  mine, 
and  in  a  moment  1  was  in  the  saddle  dashing  in  hot 
haste  up  the  winding  street. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

TO    SAMAC. 

Many  of  the  village  folk  were  still  lounging  in  the 
street  and  the  clatter  of  the  horses'  heels  brought  out 
more  to  gape  and  stare  in  wonderment  as  we  clat- 
tered past.  We  were  nearing  the  end  of  the  place 
when  I  caught  sight  of  a  church  with  a  mean-looking 
presbytery  by  the  side. 

I  checked  my  horse,  rode  to  it,  and  asked  for  Father 
Michel.  A  tall  white-haired  priest  came  out;  kind- 
faced,  with  remarkable  eyes  almost  black,  under  black 
brows.  A  man  to  trust  certainly. 

"You  are  Father  Michel?" 

For  answer  he  turned  his  searching  eyes  upon  me, 
paused  and  said:  "  You  will  be  Burgwan?" 
'  Yes.    And  you  know  why  I  come." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  was  in  the  act  of  coming  to 
you." 

"  Is  she  here  ?  "  I  did  not  know  how  to  speak  of 
Mademoiselle;  but  he  understood  instantly.  He 
patted  my  horse's  neck  and  looked  up  with  sympathy 
in  his  manner  and  glance. 

'  You  will  let  me  speak  with  you?  " 

"  Is  she  here?  "  I  repeated. 

"  She  wished  me  to  see  you.  We  arranged  that  she 
should  go  and  that  I  should  give  you  her  messages. 
You  will  come  into  my  house  ?  " 


TO   SAM  AC  151 

"  No,  I  cannot  wait.  She  is  gone  to  Samac.  I 
shall  ride  after  her.  I  must  see  her." 

"  You  are  suffering,"  he  said,  with  that  soothing 
comfort-offering  air  which  is  the  priceless  possession 
of  many  women  and  some  good  men.  "  You  will 
let  me  give  you  her  messages  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  wait,"  I  said  again ;  and  yet  I  lingered. 

"  Will  it  ease  your  own  pain  to  make  her  suffer?  " 
The  question  made  me  wince;  and  I  shirked  the  an- 
swer to  it. 

"  She  has  gone  to  Samac?  " 

"  Yes,  she  has  driven  to  Samac.  There  is  plenty 
of  time  for  you  to  listen  to  me  and  then  to  over- 
take her  before  she  can  leave  there." 

"  She  was  to  come  to  me,"  I  said,  with  a  glance  of 
doubt  at  this.  It  might  be  another  ruse.  He  saw  the 
doubt  instantly. 

"  You  may  believe  me.  I  do  not  wish  to  detain 
you  if  you  prefer  to  go,  and  should  not  stoop  to  a 
trick."  He  stepped  back  and  waved  his  hand  as  if 
to  signify  I  was  free  to  go,  and  added :  "  It  is  only  for 
her  sake." 

He  knew  the  strength  such  a  plea  would  have  for 
me. 

"  I  must  see  her.     I  will." 

He  threw  up  his  hands  with  a  gesture  of  pain. 

I  half  wheeled  my  horse  round  to  start  and  then 
checked  him. 

"  Why  did  she  go  in  this  way  ?  " 

Again  he  turned  those  wonderful  eyes  of  his  upon 
me,  and  answered  slowly: 

"  If  you  do  not  know  I  must  not  tell  you.     She 


152  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

has  gone  out  of  your  life  altogether — altogether.  It 
is  her  own  doing;  her  own  will  and  wish  and  doing. 
Let  her  go." 

"  I  will  not,"  I  exclaimed  almost  fiercely. 

"  Have  patience  and  the  strength  of  a  man,  Burg- 
wan.  You  have  acted  nobly  to  her,  offering  your  life 
in  her  defence.  She  cannot  repay  you.  She  knows 
that,  and  I  know  it.  Add  chivalry  to  your  courage, 
and  spare  her." 

"  She  told  me  to  wait  for  her — in  that  letter,  I 
mean;  and  yet  before  it  was  in  my  hands,  she  had 
gone  away." 

"  The  sweetest  pleasure  in  life  as  well  as  the  noblest 
quality  in  man  is  self-denial,  Burgwan;  and  in  your 
case  it  is  real  prudence  and  wisdom  as  well." 

"  But  she  bade  me  wait  for  her,"  I  repeated. 

"  Not  in  Poabja,  Burgwan.  She  bade  me  get  from 
you  your  name  and  the  means  of  communicating  with 
you  if  ever " 

"  Then  it  was  a  mere  trick  of  words,"  I  cried  with 
angry  unreason.  "  I  shall  follow  her;"  and  without 
waiting  for  him  to  reply  I  rode  off  quickly.  I  think 
I  was  afraid  to  trust  myself  longer  with  him;  afraid 
lest  he  should  prevail  with  me;  afraid  lest  the  fierce 
consuming  desire  to  look  once  more  upon  her  face 
should  be  chilled  by  the  appeals  to  my  better  nature 
which  he  knew  how  to  make  so  shrewdly. 

Already  he  had  made  me  conscious  of  the  stubborn 
selfishness  of  my  purpose;  and  as  I  galloped  along, 
I  sought  to  stifle  the  feeling  with  specious  pallia- 
tion and  anger.  She  had  no  right  to  treat  me  in  this 
way.  I  had  done  nothing  and  said  nothing  to  deserve 


TO   SAM  AC  153 

it.  She  had  run  away  under  the  cover  of  a  mere  trick 
and  ruse.  And  so  on. 

But  I  could  not  shake  off  the  impression  of  the 
priest's  words,  "Will  it  ease  your  own  pain  to  make 
her  suffer?"  The  question  haunted  me.  I  could 
find  no  answer  to  it  in  my  own  thoughts,  just  as  I  had 
found  none  in  speaking  with  him.  Out  of  it  came 
the  chilling  conviction  that  the  part  I  was  playing 
was  the  part  of  the  coward. 

I  was  forcing  myself  upon  her  in  face  of  her  re- 
monstrance and  pleading.  "  Her  own  will  and  wish 
and  doing."  What  was  I  but  a  coward  to  try  and 
force  her.  The  very  air  took  up  the  cry  of  coward; 
and  the  rythm  of  my  horse's  hoofs  seemed  to  echo 
it  at  every  throbbing  stride. 

But  I  knitted  my  brows  and  set  my  teeth  and  held 
on.  I  must  see  her  again.  I  would.  It  was  my  pas- 
sion that  urged  me.  I  would  see  her,  let  the  world 
cry  shame  upon  me  for  my  cowardice.  And  I  dug 
my  heels  into  my  horse's  flanks  in  my  distraction 
and  rushed  along  up  hill  and  down  alike  at  a  mad, 
reckless  speed. 

Fast  as  I  rode,  however,  I  could  not  outpace  that 
thought  of  cowardice.  It  gained  upon  me,  little  by 
little;  now  to  be  flung  aside  in  anger,  only  to  return 
to  chill  me  until  I  hated  the  thing  I  was  doing  and 
had  to  put  forth  every  effort  of  my  selfish  desire  to 
prevent  myself  checking  the  horse  and  turning  back 
to  seek  some  other  means  to  my  end. 

If  it  was  really  to  cause  her  suffering,  after  what 
she  had  gone  through,  how  dared  I  go  on?  What 
would  she  think  of  me  ?  She  had  trusted  to  me  in  all 


154  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

that  time  of  peril  with  the  implicit  trust  of  a  child. 
Thank  God  I  had  been  able  to  stand  between  her  and 
her  danger,  and  we  had  come  through  it  together  to 
safety.  And  now  I  was  so  madly  selfish  that  I  could 
not  be  man  enough  to  spare  her  from  this  pain. 

"  I  cannot  thank  you ;  I  can  only  remember,"  she 
had  written.  And  here  was  I  bent  upon  blotting  the 
memory  with  this  slur  of  my  own  crude,  brutal  self- 
ishness. Was  this  what  she  would  look  for  in  her 
comrade?  Was  it  what  she  had  the  right  to  expect? 
How  would  the  act  look  when  she  came  afterwards 
to  remember? 

Unwittingly  I  checked  my  horse.  I  was  a  coward 
now  of  another  kind.  I  was  afraid  to  satisfy  my  own 
desire;  afraid  to  mar  the  memory  she  would  have 
of  our  comradeship;  afraid  to  meet  the  look  of  re- 
proach I  knew  would  be  in  her  eyes  at  the  sight  of 
me. 

My  horse,  glad  enough  to  ease  his  speed,  fell  into 
a  walking  pace,  and  I  let  the  reins  drop  on  his  neck 
as  I  hung  my  head  in  sheer  dejection.  Karasch 
came  to  my  side  in  astonishment  then. 

"Is  anything  the  matter,  Burgwan?" 

"  Nothing  that  you  can  help,  Karasch." 

"  We  are  going  to  Samac,  are  we  not  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know — and  don't  care.  Don't  worry  me 
with  your  questions." 

"  Mademoiselle  has  been  taken  there,  hasn't  she  ? 
Are  you  not  going  to  her  help?  " 

"She  has  gone  there  of  her  own  will  and  wish.  She 
is  quite  safe;  you  need  have  no  fears  for  her." 

"  How  do  you  know  she  is  safe?  " 


TO   SAM  AC  155 

"  The  priest  told  me." 

"  The  priest ! "  he  exclaimed,  with  scant  respect. 
"  I  should  like  to  know  it  for  myself  and  trust  my 
own  eyes." 

I  started  and  instinctively  gathered  up  the  reins 
again.  What  if  she  was  not  safe  after  all.  Could 
the  whole  thing  at  Poabja  be  just  a  trick  to  get  her 
from  me?" 

I  laughed  suddenly;  so  suddenly  that  Karasch 
started  and  looked  at  me  in  surprise  and  some  alarm. 

"  May  I  see  the  devil  if  I  see  a  reason  for  laugh- 
ing." 

But  I  did.  I  was  laughing  at  the  effect  his  words 
had  had  on  me — at  the  tempting  pretext  they  offered 
for  continuing  the  journey.  I  could  pretend  that  I 
was  in  doubt  about  her  safety,  and  that  that  was  the 
reason  for  my  riding  after  her.  I  played  with  the 
thought;  and  then  laughed  again. 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,  Karasch.  She  is  quite  safe,  I  tell 
you." 

"  Have  you  ridden  out  thus  far  then  at  a  wild 
gallop  in  order  to  see  how  dusty  the  roads  are?  " 

"  I  suppose  that's  about  how  it  looks,"  I  laughed. 

"  That  blow  on  your  head  has  hurt  you  more  than 
we  thought." 

"  No,  it  isn't  my  head  this  time,"  I  said  drily. 

:<  Your  leg,  you  mean  ?  Or  did  they  do  anything 
to  you  at  Poabja?  " 

'  Yes,  it  all  happened  at  Poabja,  Karasch.  I  must 
go  back  there  and  see  that  priest  again ;"  and  I  pulled 
my  horse  up  and  turned  him.  I  would  have  given 
much  to  have  taken  Karasch's  view  and  have  ridden 


156  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

on,  but  the  thought  of  Mademoiselle's  eyes  stopped 
me.  Even  if  I  persuaded  myself,  I  could  not  tell  the 
lie  to  her. 

Karasch  sat  facing  me  stolidly. 

"  You  are  ill,  Burgwan,  or  it  wouldn't  be  like  this 
with  you.  Go  back  to  Poabja  and  I'll  seek  you 
there." 

"  What  do  you  mean?    Where  are  you  going?  " 

"  To  Samac.    I  will  not  desert  her." 

The  grim  irony  of  this  was  too  much  for  me  and 
I  smiled.  Here  was  I,  consumed  with  intense  long- 
ing to  go  to  her  and  compelled  to  hold  myself  back 
with  a  curb  of  iron — and  to  Karasch  my  act  seemed 
no  more  than  paltry  cowardice  and  desertion.  My 
smile  seemed  to  anger  him. 

"  You  have  not  been  so  free  with  your  laughter 
till  now,"  he  said,  curtly,  "  and  I  see  no  cause  for  it." 

"If  I  laugh  it  is  not  for  joy,  Karasch;  but  you 
don't  understand.  Do  as  you  say.  Go  on  to  Samac 
and  bring  me  any  news  you  may  find  there." 

"  You  are  right.     I  don't  understand.     -But  you 

had  better  ride  on  with  me.     If  you  are  really  ill, 

'  we  are  nearer  to  Samac  than  Poabja ;  and  if  there  is 

news  you  ought  to  know,  it  may  mean  a  grievous 

waste  of  time  to  have  to  ride  back  to  Poabja." 

How  aptly  the  plea  fitted  with  my  desires.  It  was 
true,  too.  She  might,  after  all,  have  need  of  me. 
There  was  just  the  chance  that  matters  had  been  mis- 
represented. It  could  do  no  harm  for  me  to  be  in 
Samac.  I  need  not  see  her  even  if  I  went  there. 

Karasch  watched  me  closely  as  I  sat  letting  these 
thoughts  and  others  of  the  kind  influence  me ;  and  he 


TO   SAM  AC  157 

believed  that  he  was  persuading  me  and  bringing  me 
back  to  my  right  mind. 

"  I  shall  be  very  little  use  without  you,  Burgwan, 
if  there  is  really  more  trouble.  We  ought  to  make 
sure.  We  should  be  cowards  to  desert  her  now." 

"  I  wonder  which  way  the  real  coward  would  de- 
cide to  go,  Karasch.  For  the  life  of  me  I  don't 
know ;  "  but  I  wheeled  my  horse  round  again  and  we 
rode  on  toward  Samac. 

After  all  I  was  not  now  going  to  see  her,  I  said 
to  myself.  I  would  just  make  sure,  as  Karasch  had 
suggested,  that  all  was  well  with  her,  and  then  hide 
myself  until  she  had  left.  That  was  how  I  shut  the 
door  and  turned  the  key  against  those  uncomfortable 
words  of  the  priest  about  chivalry  and  self-denial. 
After  all  it  was  perfectly  consistent  with  chivalry  to 
assure  myself  of  her  safety  to  the  last  minute,  and 
yet  keep  away ;  while  as  for  self-denial  that  would  be 
all  the  greater  if  I  did  not  see  her  when  close  to  her 
at  Samac  than  if  I  remained  five  miles  off  at  Poabja. 

Yet  in  my  heart  I  knew  perfectly  well  I  was  going 
to  see  her.  I  was  going  to  play  the  coward  and  to 
force  myself  upon  her  at  the  risk  of  causing  her  pain; 
aye,  even  with  the  prospect  of  losing  her  esteem. 

I  did  not  ride  so  fast  now,  and  thus  Karasch  could 
talk.  He  wanted  to  talk  about  her;  what  we  should 
do  when  we  reached  Samac.  But  I  could  not  stand 
that,  and  each  time  he  began  I  mumbled  some  in- 
coherent reply  and  struck  my  heels  into  my  horse 
to  get  away  from  him;  and  at  last  he  gave  up  the 
attempt. 

I  knew  that  I  was  going  to  ride  straight  up  to  the 


158 

railway  depot  where  I  should  find  her;  but  I  would 
not  admit  this  even  to  myself  yet,  and  certainly  would 
not  put  it  into  plain  words. 

Presently  he  chose  another  topic. 

"  Have  you  thought  about  that  Austrian  Govern- 
ment officer,  Burgwan?"  he  asked,  with  some  evi- 
dence of  uneasiness. 

"  Yes,  a  good  deal." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  He  can't 
be  left  where  we  tied  him  up." 

"Would  you  like  to  go  and  find  him?"  I  asked, 
with  a  grin.  It  pleased  me  to  tease  him  in  the  mood 
I  was  in. 

"  No,  by  the  God  of  the  living,  not  for  a  fortune." 

"  Shall  we  leave  him  to  die  then  ?  "  I  put  the  ques- 
tion angrily,  as  if  rebuking  him  for  callousness. 

"  You'd  better  go  yourself,"  he  growled. 

"  It  would  be  murder  to  leave  him.  There  will  be 
a  big  reward  offered  for  his  murderers." 

"  No  one  knows  about  it,"  he  growled  again,  un- 
easily. 

"  Oh,  yes.  Petrov  does.  He  spoke  of  it  in  Poabja 
to  me." 

'  The  blight  of  hell  blind  him  for  a  cursed  pig," 
he  exclaimed  with  sudden  savageness. 

'  There's  not  much  chance  of  that  before  he  can 
say  what  he  knows,  Karasch.  I  mean  to  leave  the 
country." 

He  started  so  violently  that  he  checked  his  horse, 
and  when  he  rode  up  again  he  looked  at  me  search- 
ingly. 


TO   SAM  AC  159 

"  Are  you  trying  me?  "  he  asked,  half  fiercely  half 
in  doubt. 

"  No,  that's  for  the  judge  to  do." 

He  chewed  this  answer  for  a  while  in  gloomy 
silence;  then  he  uttered  one  of  his  quaint  oaths  into 
his  black  beard,  and  his  face  cleared. 

"  There  was  a  time  when  I  should  have  thought 
you  ready  to  do  even  that  and  worse.  I  don't  now." 

That  beat  me.  "  Then  if  I  can't  fool  you  I  may  as 
well  say  what  I  mean  to  do,"  I  said.  "  Petrov  knows 
the  point  where  we  met  last  night;  and  I  shall  send 
back  to  the  priest  at  Poabja  enough  money  to  pay 
for  a  search  party  being  sent  out  under  Petrov's 
guidance  to  find  the  officer.  I  marked  the  spot  where 
we  left  him  and  can  describe  it  clearly  enough." 

"And  the  men  at  the  camp?" 

"  I  shall  send  money  for  them  to  be  cared  for." 

"  There'll  be  a  pretty  mess  of  trouble  when  that 
officer  once  gives  tongue — a  hue  and  cry  will  be 
raised  for  us." 

"  It  will  have  to  be  a  loud  one  to  reach  us.  We 
shall  be  far  enough  away  by  that  time." 

'He  pondered  this  answer  in  his  deliberate  way 
when  puzzled;  and  then  lifted  his  head  and  looked 
across  at  me. 

"We?"  he  asked. 

"  Didn't  I  say  I  should  be  out  of  the  country?  " 

"  Yes,  you  did ;  but — "  he  shook  his  head,  doubt- 
ingly. 

"  Did  you  think  I  should  leave  you  behind, 
Karasch?" 

"  I  couldn't  know,"  he  said ;  and  urging  his  horse 


160  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

he  added:  "Shall  we  get  on?  There's  Samac  in 
sight." 

He  rode  ahead  of  me  without  another  word  until 
we  were  just  at  the  entrance  to  the  town,  when  he 
stopped  and  waited  for  me.  His  face  was  pale  and 
set.  He  had  been  thinking  earnestly,  and  was  un- 
usually disturbed  and  nervous. 

"  You're  a  man,  Burgwan,  right  to  the  heart.  I 
can't  say  how  glad  I  am  you  beat  me  in  that  fight; 
and, I'd  never  been  beaten  before." 

"  It's  all  right,  Karasch ;  don't  say  any  more ;  "  and 
I  stretched  out  my  hand  to  him.  He  took  it  and  held 
it  as  he  answered  almost  emotionally: 

"  You're  a  better  man  than  I  am  every  way,  by  the 
living  God.  I'm  only  a  dog  beside  you,  but  I'll  serve 
you  like  a  dog,  if  you'll  let  me."  His  earnestness 
amounted  to  passion  now. 

"  Not  like  a  dog,  Karasch ;  not  even  like  our  good 
Chris;  but  like  a  man  and  a  friend." 

"  I'm  not  fit  to  be  your  friend ;  I'm  only  a  peasant 
when  I'm  nothing  worse;  but  I'll  be  your  man,  God 
send  the  chance  to  prove  it.  And  now  you  lead  and 
I  follow."  He  let  my  hand  drop  and  fell  behind  and 
nothing  would  induce  him  to  ride  farther  at  my  side. 

I  was  deeply  touched  by  his  earnestness.  I  had 
had  many  men  offer  themselves  to  me  before — a  man 
with  such  wealth  as  I  possessed  always  will  have. 
But  this  man  was  moved  by  no  thought  of  personal 
advantage.  It  was  to  Burgwan,  the  man,  he  pledged 
himself,  not  to  the  millionaire ;  and  I  prized  the  offer 
for  that  reason  alone. 

But  this  act  in  falling  behind  and  leaving  me  to 


TO    SAMAC  161 

take  the  lead  just  at  that  juncture  was  not  without  its 
embarrassment.  It  made  the  pretence  of  having  fol- 
lowed his  lead  to  Samac  the  more  difficult  to  keep 
up;  and  I  rode  through  the  town  in  no  little  doubt 
and  hesitation  what  to  do. 

Inclination  drew  me  straight  to  the  station,  and 
Mademoiselle ;  while  that  pricking  consciousness  that 
was  doing  a  cowardly  thing  warned  me  away. 

But  love  and  doggedness  triumphed.  I  had  come 
too  far  to  retreat ;  and  now  that  I  was  so  near  to  her 
I  lacked  the  pluck  to  keep  away  from  her. 

I  did  what  I  had  felt  I  should  do.  I  rode  straight 
to  the  station  and,  giving  my  horse  into  Karasch's 
charge,  I  entered  it  to  look  for  her. 

She  was  there,  sitting  in  the  miserable  waiting- 
room,  dejected  and  sorrowful,  and  bending  over 
Chris  as  he  squatted  on  his  haunches  beside  her,  with 
his  great  head  in  her  lap. 

He  recognised  my  step  and  with  a  whimper  of 
pleasure,  started  up  and  rushed  to  me,  fawning  upon 
me  with  such  delight  that  I  had  to  check  him. 

But  Mademoiselle  turned  pale  as  she  saw  me,  her 
hands  clasped  quickly  and  tightly  together,  her  lips 
parted  and  her  brow  drew  together  in  a  frown  of  dis- 
may or  pain. 

Then  I  put  the  dog  aside  and  went  to  her. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

ON    THE    HILL    AT    SAMAC. 

As  I  stepped  forward  two  persons  who  had  been 
sitting  apart  from  her  rose  and  came  quickly  toward 
me.  In  my  abstraction  I  had  not  noticed  them ;  but 
I  saw  now  that  one  was  a  priest  and  the  other  a 
matronly  woman  of  between  thirty  and  forty  years 
of  age. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  Who  are  you  ?  This  lady 
is  in  my  care,"  said  the  priest. 

"  You  saw  that  the  dog  knew  me  for  a  friend,"  I 
answered. 

"  That  may  be,  but  what  do  you  want  ?  "  he  asked 
again. 

I  looked  across  to  Mademoiselle.  She  hesitated 
a  moment  and  then  spoke  to  the  priest. 

"  It  is  all  right,  father.  I  wish  to  speak  to — him." 
There  was  just  a  suspicion  of  a  pause  at  the  last  word 
as  though  she  had  been  in  doubt  how  to  speak  of 
me. 

"  But  Father  Michel — "  began  the  priest  in  pro- 
test, when  she  interposed  and  with  a  single  gesture 
silenced  him. 

The  incident  gave  her  time  to  regain  self-posses- 
sion. Outwardly  she  grew  calm,  dignified,  and 
almost  cold,  but  her  eyes  were  burning  and  in  them 
I  read  the  reproach  I  had  so  dreaded  during  my  ride. 


ON    THE   HILL   AT   SAM  AC  163 

"  Why  have  you  come?  "  she  asked,  when  I  could 
not  speak;  and  her  voice  was  hard  to  my  ears  and 
accusing.  I  hung  my  head. 

"  I  have  no  answer,"  I  murmured.  "  I  am  sorry ; 
but  I  can  go  again."  I  had  hoped,  like  the  fool  I  was, 
she  would  have  been  glad  to  see  me;  and  chilled  and 
beaten  by  this  reception,  I  turned  on  my  heel  to  leave. 

Then  Chris  made  a  difficulty.  He  ran  after  me  so 
that  at  the  door  I  had  to  turn  to  send  him  back. 

"  Call  him,"  I  said.  If  she  could  be  hard,  so  could 
I;  and  my  face  was  as  cold  and  stern  as  she  could 
have  wished  her  own  to  be. 

But  at  my  look  she  winced  and  bent  her  head. 
Her  interlocked  ringers  were  strained  tightly.  It  was 
as  though  she  understood  the  pain  she  caused  me 
and  her  own  tender  heart  was  wrung  at  the  sight. 
Chris  stood  looking  up  wistfully  into  my  face. 

"  Go  back,  Chris.  Good-bye,  old  dog."  He  whim- 
pered in  protest;  for  all  the  world  as  though  he  knew 
we  were  to  part.  "  Go,  Chris,  good  dog,"  I  said 
again;  and  then  he  went  slowly  to  her  and  licked 
the  hands  which  were  straining  in  such  emotion. 

She  did  not  look  at  me  and  I  turned  again  and 
went  out. 

"  Burgwan ! " 

It  was  barely  more  than  a  whisper,  but  I  heard 
it  clearly  as  I  stepped  out  of  the  door.  I  did  not  heed 
it,  however.  I  had  done  wrong  in  coming  there  at 
all,  and  I  was  sufficiently  master  of  myself  now  to 
hold  to  my  resolve  to  leave  her.  I  walked  toward  the 
spot  where  I  had  left  Karasch  with  the  horses;  but 
I  had  not  taken  a  dozen  steps  before  a  great  scurry 


164  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

of  feet  came  after  me,  and  Chris  was  yelping  with 
glee  and  thrusting  his  nose  into  my  hand  and  fond- 
ling me. 

"  You  shouldn't  have  come,  Chris.  You're  only 
making  it  all  the  harder,  old  dog.  You  must  go 
back.  You  belong  to  her  now ;"  and  turning  to  send 
him  back,  I  saw  her  coming  toward  us. 

"  I  called  to  you,  Burgwan." 

"  I  thought  it  best  not  to  hear  you,  Mademoiselle." 

"  I  could  not  let  you  go  like  that,"  she  murmured ; 
and  then  a  pause  fell  between  us  and  we  stood  for 
a  minute  or  more,  neither  knowing  what  to  say. 

"  Karasch  is  here,  too  ?  "  she  said  at  length,  see- 
ing him  with  the  horses. 

"  Yes.  He  was  anxious  to  know  you  were  really 
safe." 

"And  you?"  There  was  a  quick  gleam  of  hope 
in  her  eyes  that  I  too  had  acted  with  the  same  motive. 

"  That  was  not  my  reason.  I  knew  you  were  safe. 
I  have  seen  Father  Michel.  I  came  because  I  am  a 
coward.  But  I  am  going." 

"  No."  Sharp,  clear,  decisive  and  almost  per- 
emptory her  tone  was.  And  again  we  were  silent  in 
mutual  embarrassment.  To  relieve  it  somewhat  I 
began  to  move,  and  we  walked  away  from  the  little 
station  along  a  path  leading  up  a  small  grass-covered 
hill  and  reached  the  top  of  it  before  we  spoke  again. 

"  When  does  your  train  leave?  " 

"  At  eight." 

'  There  is  an  hour  yet,"  I  said,  glancing  at  my 
watch. 

"  Yes,  there  is  just  an  hour,"  she  repeated,  mo- 


ON   THE   HILL   AT   SAM  AC  165 

notoriously,  as  if  glad  of  something  commonplace  to 
say.  And  again  we  came  to  a  stop. 

"  When  do  you  reach  Belgrade?  "  It  was  a  fatuous 
question ;  but  as  I  could  not  speak  of  what  filled  my 
heart,  I  had  to  speak  at  haphazard. 

"  I  don't  know.  We  travel  all  night,  I  suppose ;" 
and  there  was  an  end  of  that  subject. 

"  Shall  we  sit  down  ?  The  view  is  lovely,"  I  said 
next. 

"  Oh,  don't,  for  God's  sake,  don't."  It  was  a  cry 
right  from  her  heart.  "  Can't  you  see  what  you  are 
making  me  suffer,  and  you  talk  to  me  of  trains  and 
views?" 

"  We  must  talk  of  something,"  I  replied,  a  little 
doggedly. 

"  Why  do  you  come  here  ?  "  she  asked,  turning 
upon  me  fiercely.  "  If  you  had  been  the  man  I 
deemed  you,  you  would  have  done  as  I  asked — after 
what  I  told  Father  Michel  to  tell  you." 

"  I  did  not  give  him  time  to  tell  me  anything. 
When  Petrov  brought  me  your  second  letter  bidding 
me  wait  for  you,  he  told  me  that  you  had  already 
left  for  this  place.  I  came  after  you  at  once." 

"  But  you  said  you  had  seen  the  priest.  Did  he  not 
come  to  you  ?  He  promised." 

"  I  didn't  wait  for  him  when  I  learnt  you  had  left. 
I  rode  to  him  to  his  house.  He  said  I  should  cause 
you  pain  if  I  followed  you  and  appealed  to  my 
chivalry  and  said  he  had  messages  for  me  from  you, 
and  urged  me  to  stay  and  listen.  But  I  had  pain  of 
my  own  and  with  an  angry  laugh  I  rode  away  after 
you." 


166  THE   QUEEN'S  'ADVOCATE 

"  That  was  your  view  of  chivalry?  " 

"  Yes ;  that  was  my  view  of  chivalry.  I  told  you 
I  came  because  I  was  a  coward.  I  am.  I  see  it  now. 
And  you  may  as  well  know  me  for  what  I  am".  I 
spoke  bitterly,  stung  by  her  scornful  words,  and 
found  a  curious  pleasure  in  avowing  my  unworthi- 
ness.  "  I  have  forced  myself  upon  you,  you  see ; 
forced  myself  like  a  brute  and  a " 

"  Oh,  don't,"  she  interposed,  putting  up  a  hand 
in  protest,  and  turning  away,  walked  to  a  fallen  tree 
and  sat  down  upon  it.  I  followed  and  threw  myself 
on  the  ground  near  and  waited  for  her  to  speak.  She 
sat  thinking  awhile  and  then  said  slowly : 

"  Things  must  be  made  plain  between  us,  Burg- 
wan.  I  planned  to  leave  you  in  Poabja." 

"  Father  Michel  told  me  as  much." 

"  It  was  for  the  best,  so.  I  knew  that  when  once 
I  was  in  Poabja  he  would  be  able  to  help  me." 

"  And  my  help  would  be  no  longer  needed." 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  angry.  It  helps  me,"  she  an- 
swered, quietly ;  and  so  silenced  me.  "  You  remem- 
ber I  told  you  I  had  nothing  to  fear  there;  and  I 
would  have  told  you  why,  but  that  I  was  afraid  I 
could  not  see  him  first  and  so  warn  him  what  not  to 
tell  you  about  me.  That  was  why  I  rode  on  into  the 
town,  meaning  to  find  him  out  by  myself.  He  is 
from  Belgrade,  and,  of  course,  knows  me.  I  meant 
him  to  help  me  slip  away  while  detaining  you  on 
some  pretext." 

"  Others  did  that  for  him,"  I  put  in  drily. 

'  You  were  not  hurt,  were  you?  " 

"  No,  but  you  might  have  been." 


ON    THE   HILL   AT  SAM  AC  167 

"  I  was  not.  By  a  happy  chance  Father  Michel 
met  me  while  I  was  in  the  hands  of  the  people  and 
had  asked  them  to  taj<e  me  to  him.  He  rescued  me 
at  once  and  took  me  to  his  house.  I  told  him  then 
about  you  and  he  gave  orders  for  your  release.  Then 
word  was  brought  that  you  had  threatened  to  take 
Petrov's  life,  and  I  wrote  you  that  letter  asking  you 
to  remain  where  you  were  for  two  hours.  This  would 
have  given  me  time  to  get  right  away;  and  I  was 
writing  you  another  letter,  when  Petrov  came  back 
with  yours.  We  detained  him  while  I  left,  and  I  ar- 
ranged with  Father  Michel  to  tell  you  all  you  wished 
to  know  about  me." 

"  You  arranged  it  all  very  cleverly,  Mademoiselle," 
I  said  angrily,  as  I  rose.  "  I  am  sorry  I  upset  your 
plans.  I  owe  you  an  apology.  I  offer  it  now."  I 
bowed  with  affected  ceremoniousness  and  added  like 
a  brutal  cad,  in  my  anger :  "  I  was  a  fool,  of  course, 
to  have  looked  for  further  consideration." 

Her  answer  was  a  look,  no  more;  but  as  I  met 
her  eyes  my  face  flushed  with  the  shame  she  made 
me  feel  for  my  brutality.  I  felt  I  could  have  torn  my 
tongue  out  could  the  words  have  been  unspoken.  I 
turned  and  covered  my  flaming  cheeks  with  my 
hands  and  walked  away  down  the  hill. 

"  Burgwan !  Burgwan !  "  she  called,  and  when  I 
did  not  stop  came  after  me  and  laid  her  hand  on  my 
shoulder.  I  shook  it  off  impatiently,  like  a  petulant 
child,  and  she  placed  herself  in  my  path. 

"  Burgwan !  Is  it  possible  that  that  is  how  it 
seemed  to  you?  My  God!" 


i68  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

I  took  my  hands  from  my  face  and  saw  that  hers 
was  white  and  strained. 

"  Let  me  go,"  I  cried. 

"  Not  like  that.  Not  with  that  thought,"  she  said, 
her  lips  trembling. 

"  Let  me  go.    I  am  not  fit  to  look  at  you." 

"  Not  with  that  thought  of  me,"  she  repeated. 

"  Let  me  go,"  I  cried,  for  the  third  time  pas- 
sionately. "  Or  I  will  not  answer  for  myself." 

"  Not  with  that  thought  of  me,"  she  repeated 
again.  "  I  cannot.  Do  you  really  think  so  of  me?  " 

"  My  God,  how  could  I  ?  I  love  you  with  my 
whole  heart."  The  avowal  burst  from  me  by  an  un- 
controllable impulse,  and  I  stood  shaken  by  the. 
vehemence  of  my  own  passion  and  looked  for  to 
shrink  from  me. 

But  instead  she  smiled  softly  and  with  maddening 
sweetness  as  she  murmured  my  name. 

"  Ah,  Burgwan ;  now  you  know." 

I  seized  her  hands  to  draw  her  to  me.  But  this 
she  resisted,  though  she  left  them  in  mine,  and  as 
I  looked  into  her  eyes  I  saw  the  tears  there. 

"  I  have  been  punished,  Burgwan,"  she  said  as  she 
smiled  through  her  tears. 

:'  You  love  me,  then  ?  " 

She  met  my  look  without  faltering,  smiling  on 
through  her  tears,  and  made  a  brave  effort  to  choke 
back  her  emotion,  until  her  head  drooped  slowly. 

'  You  must  not  ask  me  that,  Burgwan.  You  must 
know  all  the  truth  now.  Poor  Burgwan.  Oh,  I 
think  my  heart  is  breaking."  The  last  was  little  more 
than  a  sigh,  and  taking  her  hands  from  mine  she 


ON    THE    HILL    AT   SAM  AC  169 

went  back  up  the  hill  to  the  tree  and  sat  down  again. 

Seeing  her  sorrow,  Chris  went  to  her  and  whined 
and  put  his  head  in  her  lap;  the  beast  loved  her  well 
nigh  as  much  as  I  did,  and  her  trouble  grieved  him 
as  it  grieved  me,  I  think.  She  threw  her  arms  round 
his  neck  and  laid  her  head  to  his  in  response  to  his 
dumb  offer  of  sympathy. 

In  this  way  some  minutes  passed,  and  I  knew  with- 
out words  from  her  all  the  reason  of  her  wish  to 
leave  me.  That  wild  thought  of  mine  had  been  right. 
It  was  from  her  own  heart  she  had  been  flying;  and 
she  was  suffering  now  the  pain  I  could  have  spared 
her  but  for  my  insensate  selfishness. 

I  knew  that  there  were  obstacles  which  she  believed 
to  be  insuperable  between  us,  and  I  had  driven  her 
to  this  admission  of  her  love  as  the  preface  to  telling 
me  the  reasons  why  it  was  impossible. 

But  in  the  same  moment  I  vowed  they  should  not 
come  between  us.  Nothing  should  do  that  except 
her  own  will;  and  if  these  difficulties  could  be  over- 
come by  any  means  within  my  reach,  my  life  should 
be  devoted  to  beating  them  down. 

There  was  something  or  some  one  to  fight  now; 
and  she  was  a  prize  worth  fighting  for,  with  all  the 
man  that  was  in  me ;  and  while  the  sight  of  her  pain 
moved  and  distressed  me  beyond  words,  I  could  no 
longer  feel  sorry  I  had  come  after  her  to  Samac. 

She  loved  me ;  and  the  knowledge  of  love  may  have 
a  setting  of  pain  and  sorrow  and  yet  be  well  gained 
and  rightly  gained.  Our  hearts  had  answered  one 
to  the  other;  and  despite  the  pain,  it  was  well  that 
each  should  know  the  truth. 


i;o  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

I  put  away  all  the  signs  of  passion  and  fastened 
them  down  with  the  clamps  of  resolution.  I  would 
win  her  yet,  let  the  case  be  desperate  as  it  would.  I 
could  wait  for  such  a  victory ;  and  while  waiting,  fight 
to  hold  the  love  I  had  already  won. 

Presently,  when  she  had  become  less  agitated,  she 
called  me. 

I  let  her  see  at  once  that  I  had  chosen  my  course. 

"  I  don't  mind  what  you  are  going  to  tell  me,  it 
will  m.ake  no  difference,"  I  said  as  I  sat  by  her  side. 

She  smiled  but  shook  her  head.  "  You  do  not 
know  y»'t,"  she  answered.  "  It  is  hopeless  and  im- 
possible. " 

"  You  do  not  know  me,  or  you  would  not  use  that 
word." 

"  I  remember  what  you  said  about  that  on  the  hill 
this  morning;  but  this — I  am  so  sorry,  Burgwan." 
She  paused  and  then  said  very  steadily :  "  I  am  the 
promised  wife  of  another  man." 

The  words  hit  me  hard,  each  with  a  sting  of  its 
own.  I  had  looked  for  anything  but  this;  and  I 
needed  all  my  resolution  not  to  wince  and  shew  the 
pain  they  inflicted,  but  to  meet  her  steady  gaze  with 
one  equally  steady.  I  succeeded  and  forced  a  smile 
as  I  answered. 

"  I  had  not  expected  that,"  I  said,  quietly.  "  But 
in  fact  I  don't  think  I  know  what  I  did  expect.  In 
any  case  there  is  a  great  difference  between  a  wife 
and  a  promised  wife,  Mademoiselle." 

"  I  shall  be  his  wife  within  the  present  month." 
'  That  gives  us  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks.     The 
month  is  only  a  week  old, 


O.V    THE   HILL   AT   SAMAC  171 

"  You  do  not  understand." 

"  If  you  tell  me  that  you  love  another  man,  I 
shall " 

"  Don't,"  she  interposed  with  a  gesture. 

"  It  is  not  the  coward  who  says  this,  and  now  it 
is  you  who  do  not  understand  me.  I  am  not  making 
love  to  you.  I  will  never  do  that  unless  I  can  do  it 
honourably;  and  that  cannot  be  while  you  are  prom- 
ised to  another  man.  But  until  you  tell  me  that  your 
heart  is  given  to  another,  I  shall  not  cease  to  hope 
and  will  not  cease  striving  to  win  you." 

She  listened  to  me  and  caught  at  my  words.  She 
lifted  her  head  and  with  an  air  of  half-defiant  pride 
she  made  a  great  effort  to  look  me  straight  in  the 
eyes  and  take  up  my  challenge. 

"  I  do  love — "  But  she  could  get  no  farther ;  her 
head  fell,  and  she  cried,  "You  would  shame  me,  Burg- 
wan."  I  cried  with  intense  earnestness: 

"  God  forbid  that  I  should  do  that,  Mademoiselle. 
I  wish  I  could  make  it  all  easier  for  you.  But  this 
is  life  to  us  both  and  nothing  will  serve  but  truth 
and  candour." 

She  did  not  answer  this  for  some  moments,  but  sat 
thinking  intently,  her  face  averted  from  me;  and 
presently  I  said :  "  People  have  been  in  this  plight 
before,  and  have  come  out  of  it." 

She  took  no  notice  at  first  and  then  turned  with 
a  sad,  sweet  smile. 

"  You  must  not  make  this  too  hard  for  me.  I  owe 
you  so  much " 

"  Say  nothing  of  that,  please,  or  you  will  silence 
me  altogether,  Mademoiselle,"  I  interposed,  quickly. 


I72  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Do  you  forget  what  I  told  you — there  would  be 
no  Mademoiselle  in  Belgrade.  I  am  the  Princess 
Gatrina,  betrothed  to  Prince  Albrevics,  next  in  suc- 
cession to  the  Servian  throne." 

I  tried  to  take  it  with  a  smile  as  I  had  before  taken 
the  news  of  her  betrothal;  but  I  could  not.  I  could 
not  even  find  a  word  to  reply.  I  just  sat  staring  out 
in  front  of  me  yet  seeing  nothing.  I  was  like  a  man 
stricken  dumb  by  a  sudden  calamity — helpless, 
numbed  and  beaten. 

I  must  have  turned  deathly  white,  for  all  the  blood 
in  my  body  seemed  to  have  rushed  to  my  heart  which 
beat  with  great  lurching  thumps  against  my  ribs  and 
shook  my  whole  body.  Then  my  head  where  I  had 
been  struck  began  to  throb  in  response  to  the  wild 
hammer  of  the  pulse,  and  I  grew  dizzy  and  faint. 
My  breath  came  with  difficulty  and  I  had  to  grip  the 
tree  with  strenuous  hands  lest  I  should  fall  from  it. 

"  It  was  this  I  asked  Father  Michel  to  tell  you," 
she  said  presently. 

I  heard  her,  of  course;  but  her  voice  sounded  far 
away  and  apart  from  me.  Much  as  though  the  bar- 
rier between  us  had  become  substantial  and  she  were 
speaking  from  far  on  the  other  side  of  it. 

At  length  I  managed  to  get  to  my  feet  and  to  pace 
up  and  down,  winning  the  fight  against  my  reeling 
senses  and  gathering  up  trie  fragments  of  my  scat- 
tered resolution.  The  first  sign  of  my  victory  was 
a  feeling  of  blind,  bitter  anger  with  myself  for  hav- 
ing shewn  such  weakness  before  her. 

'You  must  not  judge  me  by  this  exhibition,"  I 
said,  as  a  sort  of  apology.  "  My  head  pained  me  for 
a  moment.  That's  all ;  I'm  better  now  again." 


ON    THE   HILL   AT   SAM  AC  173 

But  her  pitying  eyes  shewed  that  she  understood. 

"  I  am  so  sorry."  Just  conventional  words  they 
were ;  but  the  look  and  the  tone  told  me  how  straight 
from  her  gentle  heart  they  came  and  how  intensely 
she  was  feeling.  "  You  are  ill.  Sit  down  again."  She 
did  not  use  any  name  now,  and  I  noticed  the  omis- 
sion. I  was  no  longer  Burgwan;  and  already  the 
restraint  of  our  altered  relations  was  making  itself 
felt.  But  she  moved  as  if  to  make  place  for  me  on 
the  fallen  tree. 

"  I  am  not  ill  now,  thank  you ;  and  I  think  it  is 
time  for  you  to  go."  I  glanced  at  my  watch.  "  Yes, 
it  is  quite  time." 

She  sat  on  a  moment,  her  eyes  closed,  and  then 
sighed  deeply  and  rose.  Chris  got  up  with  her  and 
she  bent  down  and  fondled  him. 

"  Good-bye,  Chris,  dear,  faithful  friend,  good-bye," 
she  murmured,  and  kissed  his  head. 

"  You  will  not  take  him  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Not  now.  No.  I — I  cannot.  I  should  think  of 
— of  this."  Then  with  a  smile:  "  He  will  be  so  much 
happier  with  you."  She  stooped  and  kissed  him 
again. 

"  It  is  better  so,  perhaps."  I  said.  "  But  just  as 
you  will." 

She  was  very  quiet  and  calm  now,  and  turning  from 
the  dog,  she  held  out  her  hand  to  me,  with  a  brave 
smile. 

"  Good-bye.  You  have  not  told  me  how  to  ad- 
dress you." 

I  took  the  white  trembling  fingers,  and  held  them 
a  moment  with  a  slight  pressure,  which  was  returned. 


174  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  It  is  only  Burgwan  who  bids  you  good-bye,"  I 
said. 

"  It  is  better  so.  It  is  only  Burgwan  whom  I  can 
remember." 

She  paused  a  moment,  her  eyes  wistfully  on  mine, 
and  then  impulsively  held  out  her  hand  again. 

This  time  I  was  carrying  it  to  my  lips  when  I  re- 
membered, checked  myself,  and  let  it  fall.  She  was 
trembling  violently,  and  her  breathing  was  deep  and 
laboured.  As  I  loosed  her  hand  I  heard  her  catch 
her  breath;  and  looking  up  I  saw  she  was  very  white, 
the  lips  were  almost  bloodless  as  she  bit  them  in  the 
battle  with  her  agitation. 

We  stood  thus  looking  into  one  another's  eyes 
for  some  seconds. 

Poor  little  woman,  she  was  finding  it  very  hard; 
and  a  fierce  yearning  came  upon  me  to  clasp  her  to 
my  heart  and  urge  her  to  let  love  have  its  way  and 
trust  herself  to  the  care  of  my  love. 

But  it  was  her  moment  of  weakness,  and  one  of 
us  two  must  be  strong.  I  believe  she  knew  by  love's 
instinct  the  thought  that  thus  rushed  upon  me,  for 
her  hands  were  half  raised  and  a  great  flush  of  colour 
spread  over  her  pale  cheeks. 

I  stepped  back  and  dropped  my  eyes  to  the 
ground.  There  was  a  half-smothered  sob,  the  brush 
of  her  skirts,  the  light  touch  of  her  foot-fall  on  the 
path ;  and  when  I  lifted  my  head  she  had  gone,  hurry- 
ing down  the  hill  side,  and  Chris  was  looking  after 
her  and  then  back  at  me  whining  in  doubt. 

I  watched  her  go,  hoping  she  would  turn  her  head ; 
but  she  held  on  steadily  and  was  nearing  the  bottom 


ON    THE   HILL   AT   SAM  AC  175 

when  Chris  gave  a  short  bark  and  scampered  after 
her  at  a  mad  gallop,  reaching  her  just  before  a  bend 
in  the  path  would  have  hidden  her. 

I  hoped  she  would  take  him  with  her ;  but  she  did 
not.  She  stopped  and  petted  him,  letting  him  fawn 
upon  her  in  his  loving  way,  and  stooped  and  kissed 
him,  and  then  I  saw  her  point  up  the  hill  toward  me. 

He  hesitated  to  obey  her,  came  a  few  steps, 
stopped  and  ran  back  to  her.  She  petted  him  again, 
and  again  ordered  him  back.  He  looked  up  in  her 
face  as  if  in  dire  doubt ;  and  then  came  slowly  toward 
me,  but  only  to  stop  and  turn  again.  She  repeated 
the  gesture;  and  this  time  he  drooped  his  tail  and 
came  on. 

She  watched  him;  and  presently  looked  higher  up 
to  me.  I  waved  my  hand,  but  she  gave  no  answer- 
ing signal;  and  before  the  dog  reached  me,  she  had 
passed  round  the  bend  in  the  path  and  was  gone. 

I  sat  down  on  the  fallen  tree  where  we  had  been 
together  and  leant  my  face  in  my  hands,  overcome 
by  a  deadening  sense  of  utter  desolation  and  dreary 
loss.  This  at  first  shut  out  all  other  thoughts. 

But  not  for  long.  If  the  barrier  between  us  was 
so  infinitely  greater  than  my  worst  fears  had  con- 
ceived that  on  first  learning  it  I  had  been  whelmed 
and  staggered  by  the  blow,  I  had  gained  another 
knowledge.  She  loved  me;  and  with  that  priceless 
vantage  on  my  side  I  should  be  a  coward  indeed 
to  be  daunted  by  any  obstacles. 

She  loved  me ;  and  when  I  rose,  my  resolution  was 
set.  I  would  fight  on  to  the  end  to  win  her,  let 
who  else  and  what  else  stand  in  my  path. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

PREPARING    FOR   THE    CAMPAIGN. 

I  don't  know  any  place  where  money  talks  with 
such  effect  as  in  the  southeast  of  Europe ;  and  I  made 
it  talk  for  all  it  was  worth  during  the  week  that  I 
was  getting  ready  to  go  to  Belgrade. 

I  reckon  that  when  you  want  to  gain  an  end  the 
chief  means  are  to  know  quite  definitely  what  you 
want,  to  grip  on  it  with  all  your  teeth,  to  pay  liberally 
for  what  you  must  know  to  gain  it,  and  to  hold  your 
tongue  and  let  the  other  man  do  the  chattering.  You 
may  also  at  need  have  a  stalking  horse. 

I  used  one  now  in  the  campaign  to  win  Gatrina.  I 
was  hit  very  hard  when  she  told  me  the  barrier 
between  us  was  no  less  than  her  chance  of  succeed- 
ing to  the  Servian  throne ;  but  I  wasn't  knocked  out. 
On  the  contrary,  the  bigness  of  the  barrier  soon 
ceased  to  frighten  and  began  to  attract  me.  I  meant 
to  win  her;  and  to  go  to  Belgrade  to  do  it.  But  I 
shut  that  purpose  away  in  the  strongest  safe  in  my 
thoughts  with  a  time  lock  which  would  only  open 
to  let  it  out  when  the  fitting  moment  arrived.  What 
I  said  was  that  I  was  going  to  Belgrade  in  regard  to 
a  big  loan  which  that  little  kingdom  was  just  then 
particularly  anxious  to  float. 

It  served  me  well.  Any  man  who  was  going  to  put 
his  money  into  such  a  venture  would  naturally  want 


PREPARING   FOR    THE    CAMPAIGN      177 

to  know  things;  and,  if  some  of  the  points  on  which 
I  sought  information  did  not  seem  to  have  any  con- 
nection, there  were  plenty  of  people  ready  to  give  it, 
and  none  to  bother  with  my  motives,  so  long  as  I 
chose  to  foot  the  bills. 

I  was  well  served  by  my  agents,  and  inside  the 
week  I  knew  far  too  much  to  let  me  dream  of  trust- 
ing a  nickel  to  the  Servian  exchequer,  but  quite 
enough  to  enable  me  to  go  to  Belgrade  and  play 
the  part  of  a  representative  of  a  group  of  American 
capitalists  with  amiable  financial  intentions. 

I  knew  other  things,  too.  Secrets,  many  of  them, 
about  intrigues  that  were  in  progress  against  the 
Servian  rule  and  government.  And  a  nice  mess  of 
unhealthy  pottage  they  made.  One  thing  I  had  been 
particularly  urgent  to  discover — the  character  of 
Prince  Albrevics.  It  was  anything  but  cleanly.  He 
was  one  of  those  men  who  learn  the  commandments 
pretty  thoroughly  by  breaking  every  one  of  them 
consistently,  and  then  sigh  in  blase  regret  that,  as 
there  are  only  ten  of  them,  they  have  to  stoop  to  re- 
petition in  order  to  live  comfortably. 

My  money  began  to  talk  that  same  evening  in 
Samac. 

Soon  after  Gatrina  had  started  on  her  journey,  I 
surprised  the  depot  folk  at  Samac  with  a  request  for 
a  special  train.  I  looked  a  pretty  object  to  travel 
special,  no  doubt ;  and  at  first  they  laughed  and  were 
for  hustling  me  out  of  the  place  as  a  lunatic.  But  I 
soon  had  them  hustling  with  a  very  different  purpose. 
Money  did  it.  And  inside  of  five  minutes  the  station 
master  himself,  a  lean  hungry  looking  Austrian,  had 


i;8  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

put  himself  absolutely  at  my  disposal  and  was  work- 
ing all  he  knew  to  figure  out  the  best  means  of  getting 
me  through  to  Vienna. 

I  said  I  would  start  in  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  hav- 
ing sent  a  wire  in  cypher  to  my  agent  in  Vienna  to 
help  matters  on  at  that  end,  I  went  to  Karasch,  and 
with  him  rode  back  to  Poabja  to  get  the  priest's  help 
in  straightening  things  out  in  the  matter  of  that  Aus- 
trian officer. 

He  did  not  give  me  a  very  pleasant  reception. 

''  You  have  been  to  Samac?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  have  just  come  from  there." 

"  Then  why  do  you  come  to  me?  "  he  asked  with 
cold  austerity. 

"  Not  to  say  I'm  sorry  for  having  gone  there,  but 
to  get  you  to  render  me  a  service." 

;<  You  have  seen — "  he  paused,  and  I  filled  in  the 
words  for  him. 

"The  Princess?    Yes." 

"  Did  she  send  you  to  me  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  I  can  do  nothing  for  you,"  he  answered,  as  if  to 
close  matters. 

Then  I  let  the  money  talk.  I  counted  out  the  sum 
which  I  thought  would  be  necessary  for  paying  a 
search  party  and  also  such  an  amount  as  I  guessed 
he  would  be  glad  to  have  for  his  church  and  his  poor ; 
and  laid  them  on  the  table  in  two  heaps. 

'This  is  for  the  church  and  your  poor;  and  this 
is  for  you  to  disburse  for  me ;"  and  I  described  very 
briefly  what  I  wanted  done. 

"Are  you  thinking  to  bribe  me?" 


PREPARING   FOR    THE   CAMPAIGN      179 

"  Nothing  of  the  kind.  The  Princess  is  involved 
in  this  matter  of  the  Austrian,  and  for  her  sake  as 
well  as  mine  the  thing  must  be  arranged.  She  knows 
what  passed  at  the  camp  and  would,  of  course,  testify 
if  necessary.  But  I  can  take  care  of  myself  when  I 
get  to  Vienna;  and  I  am  going  there  to-night  by 
special  train."  I  added  the  last  detail  as  an  impres- 
sionist money  argument. 

"  Who  are  you?" 

"  I  am  an  American  citizen ;  and  nothing  else 
matters  just  now.  This  is  more  for  the  Princess 
Gatrina  than  for  me.  She  had  to  be  saved,  and  I 
couldn't  do  it  with  kid  gloves  on."  He  thought  over 
this. 

"  It  is  either  a  right  or  a  wrong  thing  you  are  ask- 
ing of  me.  If  right  I  do  not  desire  to  be  paid  for 
it ;  if  wrong,  I  am  not  to  be  bribed  to  do  it ;"  and  he 
pushed  back  toward  me  the  money  I  had  offered 
him  for  his  church. 

"  It's  clean  mioney,"  I  said,  getting  up.  "  You 
needn't  be  afraid.  Keep  it  untouched  until  you  are 
satisfied  it  is  clean  and  then  use  it,  or  not,  as  you 
please.  I  should  like  to  have  a  report  of  what  you 
do." 

"To  whom  shall  I  send  it?" 

"  To  me.  You  heard  my  name — Burgwan — and 
can  send  to  that  name  under  cover  to  this  address  in 
Vienna;"  and  I  wrote  the  name  of  a  man  so  well 
known  that  he  started. 

"  Baron  Burndoff,  the  great  banker." 

"  Yes,  the  banker,"  I  repeated ;  "  and  my  friend." 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  he  murmured,  half  to  him- 
self. 


i8o  THE    QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  There  is  one  other  little  favour  you  might  render 
me.  I  need  badly  a  fresh  suit  of  clothes.  Could  you 
tell  me  how  to  get  one?  " 

"  I  do  not  furnish  disguises,  sir,"  he  answered,  so 
curtly  that  I  almost  smiled,  as  I  retorted,  suavely : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  have  caused  you  to  say  discourteous 
things." 

He  drew  himself  up.  "  I  am  not  concerned  for 
your  feelings.  I  am  acting  for  the  Princess  Gatrina ;" 
and  he  bowed  stiffly  and  formally  to  dismiss  me.  But 
I  noticed  that  he  kept  both  the  sums  of  money ;  and 
I  went  out  satisfied  that  he  would  do  what  was  neces- 
sary and  I  was  well  pleased  at  the  result. 

On  the  ride  back  to  Samac  I  made  a  discovery.  I 
was  somewhat  at  a  loss  what  to  do  with  Karasch. 
Staunch  and  brave  he  was  undoubtedly;  but  there 
was  very  much  of  the  rough  diamond  about  him.  I 
could  not  quite  see  how  he  was  going  to  fit  himself 
into  the  routine  of  my  service. 

"  What  would  you  like  to  do,  Karasch  ?  "  I  asked 
him. 

"  Follow  you  and  serve  you,"  he  replied  simply  and 
promptly. 

"  I  don't  think  you  quite  understand  what  that  im- 
plies; and  I  wish  you  to  do  so.  I  live  thousands  of 
miles  away,  in  America ;  and  I  expect  to  return  there 
soon." 

"  When  you  have  done  with  me,  you  can  turn  me 
away.  I  am  your  man." 

'  You  are  too  good  a  fellow  for  me  to  turn  you 
away.  But  the  life  I  live  is  not  like  that  in  the  camp 
yonder.  I've  had  as  much  of  that  just  now  as  I  want. 


PREPARING   FOR    THE   CAMPAIGN      181 

Life  in  a  city  is  a  very  different  thing  and  you  might 
find  it  cramping." 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  leave  you?  You  have  but  to 
speak." 

"  You  don't  understand  me.  I  owe  you  a  debt 
which  nothing  I  can  do  for  you  will  ever  repay.  But 
I  can  do  something  toward  it.  If  you  can  think  of 
any  kind  of  life  you'd  like  to  lead,  I'll  see  that  you 
have  the  chance.  If  you'd  like  to  be  gentleman  at 
ease,  I'll  find  you  the  means." 

"A  gentleman  at  ease?    What's  that?" 

"  To  have  enough  money  to  live  upon  without 
working  for  it." 

He  swore  good  humouredly,  and  asked  with  a 
laugh :  "  Do  you  think  I  want  to  do  nothing?  " 

"  Well,  if  you'd  like  to  work  I'll  buy  you  a  house 
and  some  land  for  you  to  cultivate,  and  you  can 
choose  where." 

"  I  have  chosen." 

"\Vell?" 

"  To  serve  you,"  he  replied,  earnestly. 

"  You  must  think  a  heap  of  me  in  that  case,"  I 
laughed. 

"  I  do,"  he  said,  in  just  the  same  grave,  decided 
tone. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  won't  like  the  city  life,  Karasch." 

"  If  I  don't  I  can  leave  it.    But  I've  lived  in  one." 

"Where?" 

"  Belgrade." 

"  Are  you  a  Serb  then  ?  Georgev  said  you  were 
Bosnian." 

"  I  am  a  Serb ;  and  Georgev  is  a  fool." 


1 82  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  So  you've  lived  in  Belgrade,  have  you  ?  I  said 
as  a  thought  occurred  to  me.  Did  he  know  who 
Gatrina  was?  "How  did  you  come  to  change  so 
toward — toward  Mademoiselle  ?  " 

"  She  told  me  something  about  herself  when  you 
got  that  crack  on  the  head." 

"You  didn't  tell  me?" 

"  She  made  me  promise  not  to  speak." 

I  had  been  pretty  blind,  it  seemed. 

"  Do  you  know  who  she  is?  " 

"  No.    Only  that  she's  a  great  lady  in  Belgrade." 

"  Did  she  tell  you  how  she  fell  into  the  hands  of 
those  men?  " 

"  No ;  she  does  not  know.  She  was  carried  off  and 
believed  she  was  in  the  hands  of  the  brigands,  and 
that  they  would  hold  her  for  a  ransom.  But  I  could 
find  out." 

"How?" 

"  I  know  Belgrade  and  I  know  the  friends  of  the 
men  with  her." 

"  How  would  you  get  the  information?" 

"  Quickest  to  buy  it." 

Money  was  to  talk  again.    "  How  much?  "  I  asked. 

"  They  were  to  have  three  thousand  gulden  if  they 
got  her  to  Maglai.  Not  getting  a  kreutzer,  they'll  be 
ready  to  sell  the  whole  scheme  for  less  than  half." 

"Would  you  go  to  Belgrade?" 

"  I'll  go  anywhere  you  send  me." 

'  You  shall  go  there  at  once  and  wait  for  me.     I 

shall  be  there  in  about  a  week.     I  am  going  first  to 

Vienna;  and  you  must  use  the  interval  to  get  this 

information  for  me.    Lose  no  time  and  pay  whatever 


183 

is  necessary.  I'll  give  you  some  money  and  send  you 
more.  But,  mind,  we  must  have  the  truth — whatever 
it  costs." 

"  They  know  me  too  well  to  deceive  me,"  he  an- 
swered. "  I  shall  have  it  all  in  less  than  a  week ;  and 
have  the  men  as  well,  at  your  service,  if  you  want 
them."  And  so  it  was  settled. 

Money  had  talked  when  we  reached  Samac,  and 
the  special  was  ready  for  us.  I  took  Karasch  with  me 
as  far  as  Maria-Theresiopel,  where  I  was  to  catch  the 
mail  to  Vienna,  and  he  to  get  the  train  to  Belgrade ; 
and  on  the  journey  I  discussed  the  matter  with  him 
fully  and  gave  him  such  directions  as  were  necessary. 

"  Mind,  not  a  word  about  me  until  we  meet  in 
Belgrade,"  was  my  last  parting  injunction;  and  for 
the  rest  of  the  journey  I  slept  almost  until  Vienna 
was  reached. 

A  very  full  week  was  the  week  that  followed;  and 
money  was  talking  every  minute  of  it,  while  I  gath- 
ered the  information  I  needed  and  pieced  it  together 
for  the  campaign  I  had  before  me. 

It  was  just  a  big  bluff  I  put  up  about  that  Servian 
loan;  and  played  it  well  enough  to  convince  all  who 
came  near  me  that  I  meant  it  right  along.  It  was 
easy  to  prove  that  I  and  those  who  were  behind  me 
in  the  States  had  the  dollars  and  could  put  them  on 
the  table.  That  was  true ;  but  the  bluff  was  to  make 
folks  believe  me  soft  enough  to  accept  the  security 
and  vouch  for  it  to  others. 

My  attitude  was  that  of  the  typical  Missouri  man. 
"  Show  me  "  was  my  one  text.  "  Prove  to  me  the 
thing  is  sound,  and  I'll  find  the  money  right  now;" 


1 84  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

and  the  very  strenuousness  of  the  efforts  to  persuade 
me  was  in  itself  enough  to  have  made  even  a  plunger 
suspicious. 

But  I  kept  a  very  stiff  upper  lip ;  and  when  I  raised 
difficulties,  hinted  at  concessions  that  should  be  made, 
and  asked  for  facts  in  regard  to  other  matters,  I  was 
at  last  referred  to  Belgrade  direct.  This  was  what 
I  wanted ;  and  I  consented  to  go  there ;  but  not  with- 
out making  a  show  of  reluctance. 

In  the  meantime  I  heard  from  Father  Michel  that 
he  had  been  successful  in  arranging  all  the  difficul- 
ties in  connection  with  the  affair  at  the  camp.  The 
Austrian  official  had  exaggerated  matters  to  me  that 
night  in  declaring  there  were  dying  men  there.  No 
one  had  died;  and  the  injured  men  had  first  been  so 
frightened  with  the  threat  of  prosecution  for  their 
part  in  the  abduction  that  the  money  I  had  left  for 
them  had  been  accepted  with  very  grateful  surprise. 

Captain  Hanske  had  very  naturally  resented  his 
rough  handling,  and,  breathing  many  threats  of  what 
his  government  would  do,  had  forwarded  a  very 
furious  report  to  Vienna. 

His  superior  was  dining  with  me  the  day  after  the 
report  was  received,  and  had  done  himself  very  well 
indeed  when  he  referred  to  the  matter. 

'  You  know  a  priest  named  Father  Michel  in 
Poabja,  an  out-of-the-way  hole  in  Bosnia,  don't  you, 
Mr.  Bergwyn?  "  he  said  with  a  very  suggestive  smile. 

I  affected  to  think.  "Poabja?  Poabja?  Where- 
abouts is  it?  " 

"A  few  miles  from  Samac — the  point  on  the 
frontier  where  the  line  ends;  and  where  one  might 


PREPARING   FOR    THE   CAMPAIGN      185 

at  a  pinch  get  a  special  train ;  if  for  instance  one  was 
in  a  hurry  to  leave  the  district." 

He  intended  me  to  know  by  that,  of  course,  that  my 
movements  had  been  traced. 

"  I  think  I  had  a  friend  who  once  went  there,"  I 
replied. 

"  This  may  be  about  him ;"  and  he  pulled  out  the 
report  and  gave  it  me  and  took  another  cigar  and  a 
fresh  drink,  as  I  glanced  through  the  paper.  It  was 
a  duly  garbled  official  misdescription  of  what  had  oc- 
curred that  night  and  represented  the  captain  as  hav- 
ing fought  valiantly  against  great  odds  until  he  had 
been  overpowered. 

"  He  seems  to  be  a  valiant  fellow,  this  agent  of 
yours,"  I  said.  "  And  this — how  is  he  called?  Burg- 
wan,  is  it  ? — must  be  a  desperate  character  ?  " 

He  laughed.  "Singular  name,  isn't  it?  Very- 
much  like  yours." 

"  Now  you  mention  it,  so  it  is.  But,  of  course,  it 
isn't  my  name ;"  and  I  smiled  in  my  turn. 

"  Of  course  not.  A  strange  story,  though.  Do 
you  think  your — friend  would  know  anything  about 
it?" 

"  I  shouldn't  be  in  the  least  surprised.  I'll  find  out. 
By  the  way,  your  man  seems  to  have  been  roughly 
handled.  Don't  you  think  he  ought  to  be  promoted 
in  some  way  ?  " 

"  Promotion  is  slow,  you  see.  Do  you  think  you 
could  do  anything  for  him  ?  "  he  asked,  as  if  the  idea 
had  just  occurred  to  him ;  and  smiled  again  slyly. 

"  I  don't  see  how  it  affects  me.  Wait,  I  have  an 
idea.  I  can  tell  you  how  you  can  do  it,  and  make  a 


1 86  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

pile  for  yourself  at  the  same  time.  This  camp  on  the 
hills  he  speaks  of  must  be  the  spot  where  my  friend 
went  prospecting  about  some  mine  deposits.  He  told 
me  there  was  a  fortune  waiting  there  for  the  man 
who  developed  the  thing ;  but  he  knows  the  difficulty 
which  a  foreigner  would  have  in  working  it,  and  has 
given  it  up.  Why  not  get  hold  of  the  concessions 
yourself;  they  can  be  had  for  a  song;  and  put  this 
man  in  charge  to  carry  on  the  work  ?  " 

"  It  would  take  money." 

"  Oh,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  about  that  if  the 
thing  had  official  influence  behind  it — such  for  in- 
stance as  yours.  The  thing's  right.  The  ore's  there, 
I  know  that." 

"  You  know  it?  "  he  put  in  quickly. 

"  I'd  trust  my  friend's  judgment  as  freely  as  my 
own." 

"  You  say  a  fortune?    How  much?" 

"  Oh,  anything  from  half  a  million  gulden  up- 
wards." I  spoke  airily,  as  though  a  few  hundred 
thousand  gulden  were  a  matter  of  comparative  in- 
significance. 

He  smoked  for  a  while  in  silence,  his  brows  knitted 
thoughtfully: 

"  Would  your  friend  go  into  it  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  It's  the  sort  of  thing  I  should  take  up  myself 
right  now  if  I  had  your  influence  with  me,"  I  replied. 

'  You  Americans  are  a  wonderful  people,  Mr. 
Bergwyn.  We'll  speak  of  this  to-morrow.  I'll  think 
it  over." 

"  It's  worth  doing,  not  only  thinking  over ;"  and 


PREPARING   FOR    THE    CAMPAIGN      187 

as  I  returned  him  his  report  I  added :  "  And  this  man 
really  deserves  some  sort  of  compensation." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  laughed.  "  He 
shall  have  an  official  letter  praising  his  zeal;  and  we 
shall  hear  no  more  of  that  part  of  it." 

We  did  talk  it  over  the  next  day  and  we  fixed  up  a 
working  arrangement.  Then  he  spoke  to  me  about 
the  Servian  loan. 

"  You're  not  going  into  it,  are  you?  " 

"  They  promise  some  valuable  concessions." 

He  paused  and  said  deliberately :  "  If  you'll  take 
my  advice,  it  is — don't." 

"Why?" 

"  It's  too  risky." 

"  You've  another  reason.    What  is  it?  " 

He  shook  his  head.  "  You  don't  understand  Bal- 
kan politics." 

'  You  mean  your  government  are  against  the 
loan?" 

"  Servia  might  buy  arms,  or  build  railways  with 
the  money — neither  course  to  our  interests,  you 
know." 

"  A  bit  rough  on  Servia,  isn't  it?  " 

"  We  have  to  think  of  ourselves,  you  see.  Besides, 
it  isn't  safe  for  a  little  country  like  that  to  develope 
too  quickly.  There's  Russia,  too.  Two  big  powers, 
both  closely  concerned.  Take  my  advice — don't." 

"  I'm  going  to  Belgrade,"  I  answered. 

"  By  all  means  go.  You'll  see  things  then  for 
yourself." 

"  What  would  happen  if  she  got  the  loan  ?  " 

"  She  won't  get  it,  Mr.  Bergwyn.  The  government 


188  THE    QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

is  tottering  now — and  perhaps  the  throne.  Anything 
can  happen  in  Belgrade  at  any  time — except  the  float- 
ing of  a  loan." 

"  I  shall  go  to  Belgrade.  We're  ready  to  carry 
risks,  you  know,  when  a  thing's  right." 

"  Oh,  yes,  by  all  means  go,  as  I  said.  They'll  make 
much  of  you ;  but  remember  when  you're  there  what 
I've  said,  in  confidence,  and — don't." 

I  could  judge  by  the  insistence  upon  this  advice 
that  he  thought  I  was  still  undecided ;  and  as  that  was 
just  the  impression  I  wished  to  leave,  I  said  no  more. 

Two  days  later  I  left  for  Belgrade,  where,  as  my 
friend  the  minister  had  told  me,  I  found  them  quite 
ready  to  make  much  of  me,  as  a  sort  of  possible 
financial  saviour  of  the  country.  I  soon  saw  the  in- 
fluence which  I  could  wield  even  in  regard  to  the 
real  purpose  which  took  me  to  the  capital. 
,  But  even  within  a  few  hours  of  my  arrival,  and 
while  I  was  disposed  to  shake  hands  with  myself  for 
the  adroit  course  which  I  was  managing  to  steer,  I 
met  with  an  ugly  check — most  unwelcome  and  dis- 
concerting. 

A  large  house  had  been  placed  at  my  disposal,  and 
I  had  breakfasted  on  the  morning  after  my  arrival 
and  was  planning  my  movements  for  the  day,  when 
my  man,  Buller,  brought  me  a  card. 

"  The  Baroness  von  Tulken." 

I  remembered  the  name.  It  had  been  given  me  as 
that  of  a  woman  of  much  influence  at  the  court  who 
was  said  to  be  taking  an  important  part  in  political 
affairs.  But  I  could  think  of  no  reason  why  she 
should  flounce  down  on  me  almost  at  the  moment  of 


PREPARING   FOR    THE   CAMPAIGN      189 

my  arrival.  I  hesitated  therefore  whether  to  see  her. 
But  I  decided  I  would.  If  time  is  not  too  pressing,  it 
is  generally  best  to  see  people  at  once  and  get  at  the 
kernel  of  their  business  in  a  couple  of  minutes,  in- 
stead of  letting  them  worry  you  with  correspondence. 

There  was  the  chance,  too,  that  under  the  circum- 
stances she  might  have  some  information  to  give  or 
sell;  and  I  was  speculating  who  she  might  be  and 
what  she  wanted,  as  I  went  to  her. 

But  I  knew  her  the  moment  my  eyes  fell  on  her, 
before  I  saw  her  face;  and  I  started  and  caught  my 
breath  in  surprise  and  some  dismay.  I  could  have 
wished  her  anywhere  in  the  world  except  in  Belgrade 
at  that  particular  juncture. 

She  was  looking  out  of  the  window  as  I  entered, 
and  when  she  turned  gave  me  one  quick  glance. 

"  Ah,  then  it  is  you,  Chase,"  she  cried,  as  she  came 
toward  me  both  hands  extended  and  uttered  my 
Christian  name,  with  a  smile  on  her  handsome  face, 
as  though  the  meeting  were  just  the  loveliest  thing 
that  ever  happened  for  us  both. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ELMA. 

A  large,  long  room  on  the  first  floor  of  a  house  in 
Prague;  the  furniture,  once  rich,  now  sadly  worn; 
the  lights  dim  except  over  one  table  where  cards 
were  scattered  on  the  green  cloth  as  they  had  been 
left  by  the  players;  close  to  it,  partly  in  shadow,  a 
second  table  with  drink  and  glasses;  near  it  an  over- 
turned chair;  away  in  the  gloom  a  cowering  figure 
on  a  settee  with  old  hands  pressed  strenuously  on 
the  hidden  face;  and  in  the  centre  a  queenly  woman, 
beautiful  as  a  picture,  white-faced,  distraught  ancf 
trembling,  but  struggling  to  appear  defiant  as  she 
faced  a  boy  of  nineteen  who  was  regarding  her  with 
looks  in  which  hot  love,  horrified  repugnance  and 
disgust  struggled  with  the  bewildering  pain  of  the 
knowledge  of  her  unworthiness.  She  had  been 
caught  red-handed  in  the  flagrant  use  of  the  tricks 
of  a  common  card  cheat;  and  the  rest  had  gone,  with 
flouts  and  scoffs  and  jeers,  leaving  the  two,  the  boy, 
face  to  face  with  the  sudden  consciousness  of  hep 
shame,  and  suffering  as  only  a  boy  in  his  calf  love 
can  suffer:  the  woman,  scared  and  confused,  but 
wrathful  and  relying  defiantly  upon  the  power  of  her 
beauty. 

I  was  the  boy;  and    Elma    Dreschkel,    now  the 


ELM  A  191 

Baroness  von  Tulken,  was  the  woman.  We  had  not 
met  since  that  night;  but  the  picture  flashed  back 
upon  my  memory,  resistlessly  and  instantaneously, 
as  I  felt  once  more  upon  me  those  dark,  dangerous, 
and  strangely  compelling  eyes  of  hers. 

"  You  are  surprised,  of  course ;  but  you  will  not 
refuse  me  your  hand,"  she  said,  as  I  hesitated  to  take 
hers. 

I  took  her  hand.  "  Yes,  I  am  surprised,"  I  an- 
swered. 

"  You  are  not  changed  much.  Older,  broader, 
more  manly,  of  course,  and  much  handsomer,  too." 

"  The  change  in  my  looks  may  not  be  very  great." 
It  was  a  fatuous  thing  to  say,  for  it  gave  her  a  chance 
which  her  ready  wit  seized  at  once. 

"  I  have  not  changed  even  in  looks,"  she  said,  with 
a  sigh  and  droop  of  the  eyes  and  a  little  graceful  ges- 
ture of  the  hands.  She  did  herself  less  than  justice, 
however.  The  seven  years  had  ripened  her  beauty 
of  form  and  face;  the  girl  had  become  a  woman;  and 
the  woman  more  than  fulfilled  the  promise  of  the 
girl.  She  was  faultlessly  dressed,  too,  with  ex- 
quisite taste;  and  had  achieved  that  combination  of 
apparent  simplicity  and  suggestion  of  costly  extrava- 
gance after  which  so  many  American  women  strive 
not  always  with  success. 

She  knew  I  was  looking  very  closely  at  her  and 
she  paused  long  enough  to  give  me  ample  oppor- 
tunity. Then  she  glanced  up  and  smiled :  hers  was 
one  of  the  most  dangerous  smiles  ever  given  to  a 
woman. 

"  Well  ?  "  she  asked,  as  if  challenging  me.     Was 


192  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

she  anxious  to  establish  our  relations  upon  some- 
thing of  the  old  footing? 

"To  what  do  I  owe  the  favour  of  this  visit?"  I 
asked  in  a  formal  and  precise  tone. 

But  she  only  laughed.  "  Is  it  a  favour,  really,  do 
you  think?  Do  you  say  that  only  as  a  preface  to  dis- 
missing me?  " 

"  It  is,  at  any  rate,  as  I  said,  a  surprise." 

"  Why?  Why  should  it  be  a  surprise  that  I  wished 
to  see  you  again,  and  that  hearing  a  great  financier, 
Chase  F.  Bergwyn,  was  coming  here,  I  rushed  here 
the  first  moment  I  could  to  make  sure  that  it  was 
you?" 

"  The  surprise  may  be  to  find  you  in  Belgrade." 

"  Oh,  yes,  that  of  course — but  not  that  I  should 
wish  to  see  you."  She  had  always  been  clever  in- 
turning  my  words  back  upon  me. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  misunderstand  me,"  I  said  after 
a  pause.  "  I  meant  to  ask  you  if  there  was  anything 
I  could  do  for  you  ?  " 

"Would  you  do  it,  Chase?"  she  cried  with  quick 
daring,  flashing  her  eyes  upon  me.  "  I  wonder  if 
you  would.  I  should  like  to  think  so." 

"  Will  you  regard  the  question  as  put  quite  for- 
mally? This  visit  is  quite  unexpected,  and  as  I  am  a 
somewhat  busy  man  just  now,  my  time  is  very  much 
occupied." 

"  I  am  still  standing,"  she  answered,  unexpectedly. 

I  placed  a  chair  for  her  and  she  sat  down,  grace- 
fully— she  did  all  things  gracefully — and  smiled. 
'*  How  long  can  you  spare  me?  "  She  put  the  ques- 
tion lightly,  with  mockery  in  every  accent. 


ELM  A  193 

"  I  have  engagements  right  through  the  day, 
Baroness  .  .  .  ." 

She  interposed  with  a  quick  gesture,  rose  suddenly 
and  looked  at  me  as  if  I  had  insulted  her  by  this  use 
of  her  title,  and  her  lips  opened  as  if  to  give  her  pro- 
test utterance;  but  she  merely  sighed  and  shrugged 
her  shoulders,  and  sat  down  again.  A  very  effective 
piece  of  acting — but  no  more  than  acting. 

In  reply  I  glanced  at  the  card  which  I  still  held  in 
my  hand. 

"  Yes,  I  married  for  money  and  position.  What 
would  you  have  had  me  do?  "  She  made  the  quick 
question  a  reproach,  speaking  in  a  low,  tense  tone  as 
of  carefully  restrained  feeling,  with  a  dash  of  personal 
defiance,  paused  iand  then  added  slowly :  "  I  was 
deserted  by — everyone.  Was  I  to  starve  and  sink 
and  go  on  sinking  and  starving.  The  Baron  was 
three  times  my  age.  Wealthy,  and  believed  in  me 
and  trusted  me.  When  even  those  who  might  have 
had  faith  in  me  " — she  paused  again  as  she  repeated 
the  phrase — "  even  those  who  might  have  had  faith, 
turned  their  backs  upon  me,  and  deserted  me,  he 
offered  me  the  shelter  of  his  rank  and  riches  and 
name.  And  even  if  I  had  no  heart  to  give  him  in 
response,  was  I  to  blame  for  giving  him  my  hand? 
Does  it  lie  with  you  to  reproach  me? — you,  of  all 
men;  you? " 

So  intense  was  her  tone,  so  magnetic  her  influence, 
and  so  realistic  her  acting  that  she  actually  roused  in 
me  for  the  moment  the  feeling  that  in  that  old  time 
it  was  I  who  had  wronged  her  and  played  the  part  of 
coward  now  suggested,  and  not  she. who  had  cheated 


I94  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

and  cozened  me  in  my  boyish  infatuation  until  for 
years  my  faith  in  all  women  had  been  destroyed.  Yet 
I  knew  that  she  was  that  most  dangerous  of  all 
created  beings — a  beautiful  woman  with  brains  and 
without  a  heart. 

"  I  am  not  reproaching  you,"  I  answered.  "  On 
the  contrary,  I  congratulate  you.  I  think  you  acted 
very  prudently." 

"  My  God,"  she  cried  in  an  accent  of  intense  suf- 
fering; and  first  glancing  at  me  with  eyes  full  of  sad- 
ness and  suffering,  she  bent  her  head  upon  her  hand. 
She  was  master  of  many  emotions;  but  the  acting 
which  had  fooled  the  boy  in  love  was  powerless  to 
deceive  me  now. 

A  pause  of  some  embarrassment  followed.  What 
I  wished  to  learn  was  her  motive  in  coming  to  me. 
She  had  a  strong  one,  of  course.  I  could  gamble  on 
that. 

"  Need  we  pretend?  "  I  asked,  at  length. 

She  shivered  as  though  the  words  hurt  her,  and 
then  looking  up  suddenly,  answered  with  a  sort  of 
fierce  abandon. 

"  No.  No;  although  God  knows  it  is  no  pretence 
that  I  am  agitated  at  seeing  you  again." 

"  If  you  are  thus  disturbed  let  me  suggest  that  we 
postpone  the  conversation  until  you  are  more  self- 
possessed." 

She  drew  in  her  breath  sharply  with  a  little  shud- 
der, and  stretched  out  a  hand  as  if  in  entreaty,  then 
clasped  it  to  her  face  and  appeared  to  make  a  great 
effort  to  regain  self-restraint. 

"  Bear  with  me  a  moment.     This  is  so  strange  a 


ELMA  195 

meeting.  I  ..."  she  stopped,  and  bit  her  lip 
and  smiled  and  sighed. 

I  watched  her  quite  unmoved  by  this  display. 
"  Yes,  it  is  very  strange,"  I  said. 

Next,  as  if  having  regained  self-possession  and 
desirous  of  getting  away  from  an  embarrassing  situa- 
tion, she  said,  unexpectedly,  and  almost  crudely: 
"Won't  you  sit  down,  Cha —  Mr.  Bergwyn?"  She 
made  the  correction  palpable,  then  added :  "  I  should 
apologise  for  my  excitement  having  betrayed  me  into 
calling  you  by — by  the  name  once  so  familiar.  I  am 
still  liable  to  impulses." 

I  accepted  the  position  thus  suggested,  sat  down 
and  answered  in  a  tone  of  conventional  compliment : 
"  So  beautiful  a  woman  as  you,  Baroness,  need  never 
think  of  apologising  for  anything." 

"  At  all  events  I  will  try  not  to  offend  again,"  she 
said  lightly.  "  I  suppose  that  really  I  ought  not  to 
have  come  to  you  in  this  way,  but  have  waited  until 
we  met.  You  are  so  great  a  man  now." 

"  You  had  some  reason  for  coming,  of  course. 
Shall  we  discuss  that?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  had  a  reason ;  but  I  find  it  so  hard  to 
explain  it  now."  Her  manner  now  was  that  of  a  sort 
of  engaging  nervousness.  "  I  declare  I  could  almost 
wish  you  were  a  stranger,  Mr.  Bergwyn.  It  would 
be  less  difficult." 

This  was  my  chance  and  I  took  it.  "  You  may 
really  regard  me  as  a  stranger,  Baroness;"  I  said, 
gravely,  with  emphasis;  but  she  smiled  winningly,  in- 
tentionally disregarding  my  meaning,  and  replied 
with  great  sweetness: 


196  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  You  were  always  considerate."  She  paused  and 
continued  then  with  a  glance: 

"  I  had  my  reasons  for  coming  to  you,  of 
course.  I  suppose  I  may  be  frank.  In  the  first 
place  I  wished  to  be  sure  that  you  were  the  Mr. 
Bergwyn  who  knew  me  before  I  came  to  Belgrade." 

Her  eyes  said  more  than  her  words  then  and  1 
gave  the  assurance  they  sought. 

"  If  I  understand  you,  pray  be  quite  at  rest.  Since 
we  parted  you  have  lived  your  life  and  I  have  lived 
mine — and  our  memories  do  not  go  behind  that  new 
life."  I  meant  that  if  she  did  not  wish  me  to  give 
her  away,  I  did  not  want  that  old  boyish  intrigue  of 
mine  raked  up.  She  was  relieved  by  the  assurance, 
and  could  not  hide  the  feeling. 

"  I  was  sure  of  that,  of  course,"  she  answered  with 
a  scarcely  perceptible  sigh  of  relief.  "  It  does  not 
affect  your  purpose  here." 

"How  could  it?" 

"  Of  course  your  agents  have  been  making  in- 
quiries about  everything  here,  and  I  suppose  you 
know  something  of  my  position  and  influence.  I  am 
a  rich  woman,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  and  stand  high  in  the 
confidence  of  many  people  in  Belgrade." 

"  I  had  heard  of  the  Baronness  von  Tulken  as  one 
enjoying  considerable  influence  at  Court." 

'Yes,  I  have  influence;  and  even  if  I  had  found 
you  a  stranger  I  intended  to  place  it  entirely  at  your 
service.  Need  I  say  how  much  more  I  should  wish 
to  do  so,  seeing  you  are  who  you  are." 

"  I  thought  we  were  not  to  remember  that." 


ELM  A  197 

"  How  precise  you  men  of  business  are ! "  she 
laughed.  "  Well,  do  you  accept  my  offer?  " 

"  I  should  be  charmed,  of  course,  and  if  the  need 
arises  I  shall  instantly  remember  your  promise." 

"  Is  that  a  refusal?  "  she  asked  swiftly. 

"A  conditional  acceptance  rather,  is  it  not?" 

"  I  did  not  come  for  conditions.  I  came  for  frank 
acceptance  or  rejection  of  my  offer." 

"  I  arrived  but  last  night,"  I  reminded  her,  blandly. 

"  You  are  playing  with  words.  What  is  your  ob- 
ject in  Belgrade?  " 

"  I  think  everyone  in  the  capital  who  knows  of 
my  presence  knows  why  I  have  come." 

"  But  I  mean  your  secret  object.  You  have  not 
come  here  to  lend  this  money.  Englishmen — I  beg 
pardon,  even  Americans  do  not  act  like  madmen  in 
such  matters.  You  know  there  is  no  stability  in  the 
kingdom,  no  security  that  even  your  interest  would 
be  paid.  Why  then  do  you  come?  What  part  are 
you  proposing  to  play  in  all  the  intrigues  at  present 
rife  here  ?  Whose  side  do  you  take  and  why  ?  " 

"  The  negotiations  for  the  loan  .  ..."  I  be- 
gan when  she  cut  me  short  with  a  laugh  and  waved 
the  words  aside. 

"  What  is  it  you  want  to  buy  with  your  money  ?  " 

"Really     .     .     .     ." 

"  I  will  put  it  another  way,"  slie  interposed  again. 
"Which  party  are  you  with?  The  army  are  in- 
triguing against  the  present  dynasty;  are  you  with 
them?  The  Crown  is  intriguing  to  secure  ihe  next 
succession  for  the  Queen's  brother;  are  you  with 
them?  Another  party  is  intriguing  to  secure  the 


198  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

Princess  Gatrina  in  her  rights;  are  you  with  them? 
— with  us,  I  should  say.  If  you  are,  then  indeed 
your  millions  may  be  safe." 

"  I  fear  I  do  not  understand  you.  The  Queen  is 
responsible  for  the  betrothal  of  the  Princess  to  the 
Prince  Albevrics;  how  then  .  .  ." 

The  interposing  laugh  was  now  scornful. 

"  You  have  indeed  much  to  learn.  You  will  hold 
what  I  may  say  in  confidence?  " 

"  Yes;  but  without  pledging  myself  to  make  no 
use  privately  of  any  information;  and  I  think. you 
should  not  speak,"  I  answered  after  a  pause  of  doubt 
whether  I  could  rightly  let  her  speak  freely.  But 
she  had  no  hesitation. 

"  I  will  take  your  word  and  any  risks.  I  wish  you, 
if  you  take  any  side,  to  take  ours.  The  Queen's  ob- 
ject in  promoting  the  marriage  of  the  Princess — as 
good  a  girl  as  ever  lived — with  such  a  vile  reprobate 
as  this  Albrevics  is — what  do  you  think?  Nay,  you 
would  not  see  it,  not  understanding  the  cross  cur- 
rents of  our  matters  'here.  She  knows,  as  all  the 
country  knows — except  Gatrina  herself,  perhaps — 
that  of  all  the  impossible  successors  to  the  throne  he 
is  the  most  impossible.  She  does  it  that  Gatrina's 
claims  may  thus  be  destroyed  finally  and  Gatrina  her- 
self in  this  clever  way  removed  from  the  path  of  the 
Queen's  brother." 

"  Very  smart,  very  subtle,  and  very  feminine,"  I 
said,  with  a  smile  as  though  the  plan  appealed  to  my 
appreciation  of  a  really  clever  move.  "  And  what  is 
your  plan?  " 

"  First,  what  is  your  motive  in  Belgrade?    Would 


ELM  A  199 

you  help  in  so  shameful  a  scheme  against  the  Prin- 
cess?" 

I  affected  to  consider  and  then  answered  with  more 
truth  than  she  knew. 

"  No,  I  think  I  can  safely  say  I  should  not." 

"  I  was  sure  of  it,"  she  cried,  triumphantly.  "  And 
you  would  not  help  the  army  in  their  plans?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  them." 

"  They  can  be  put  in  one  word — assassination." 

"  God  forbid  that  I  should  deal  with  such  a  thing. 
But  you  must  be  mad  to  think  it." 

She  paused  and  then  said  slowly  with  significant 
emphasis : 

"  When  I  know  not,  and  how  I  know  not,  but 
matters  will  come  to  that  if  the  army  once  have  the 
courage  to  act.  The  Queen  has  some  strong  friends, 
but  some  terrible  enemies ;  and  there  is  but  one  way 
to  avert  catastrophe." 

"How  is  that?" 

"  By  securing  the  succession  to  the  Princess 
Gatrina  by  the  only  means  which  can  render  it 
secure."  She  fixed  her  eyes  upon  me  with  an  intent, 
searching  look. 

"  That  is  your  scheme,  you  mean.  'How  would 
you  do  it?"  I  had  no  scruple  in  questioning  her 
now.  I  saw  that  some  plan  against  Gatrina  was  in 
the  making,  and  was  ready  to  go  to  lengths  now  to 
know  it. 

"  By  securing  her  marriage  with  a  man  who  would 
be  accepted  by  the  country  as  a  king." 

"  And  there  is  such  a  man?  " 

"Yes;  the  Duke  Barinski,  of  Fagodina." 


200  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  I  have  never  heard  of  him.  What  claim  to  the 
throne  can  he  make?  " 

She  smiled  significantly.  "  He  has  many.  He  is 
connected  by  descent  with  the  Karageorgevics,  while 
the  Princess  represents  the  Obrenovics.  Together 
their  claim  would  be  incontestable,  as  it  would  rec- 
oncile and  unite  the  rival  interests.  And  what  is 
most — he  has  the  support  of  Russia.  Now  you 
understand." 

"  And  your  motive?  " 

"The  Duke  is  the  head  of  the  family  of  which  I 
am  a  humble  member." 

"  A  very  beautiful  member  certainly,  and  a  very 
useful  one,  also  certainly;  but  I  should  not  use  the 
term  humble,  Baroness.  You  seem  to  have  a  strong 
cause,  particularly  with  Russian  influence  behind. 
You  think  it  will  succeed?  " 

"  It  cannot  fail,"  she  said  in  a  tone  of  dead  convic- 
tion. 

"  And  the  Princess  Gatrina  ?  What  are  her 
views?  " 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  In  a  marriage  of 
State  what  does  it  matter  to  the  bride  who  the  groom 
may  be?  She  at  present  trusts  the  Queen,  and  so 
accepts  even  such  a  man  as  Albrevics." 

"  It  is  all  very  interesting,  but  there  is  one  ques- 
tion which  a  business  man  would  put — a  man  looking 
of  course  to  his  own  interests  only.  If  those  who  are 
with  me  in  this  joined  in  this  scheme,  would  the  Rus- 
sian influence  go  so  far  as  to  guarantee  the  loan?  " 

"  Do  you  think  I  can  pledge  the  Russian  Govern- 
ment?" 


ELM  A  201 

"  Scarcely  that,  perhaps,  but  in  such  a  case  you 
may  have  some  influence." 

She  laughed  very  musically.  "  You  are  much 
quicker  than  you  used  to  be,  Chase — I  beg  your  par- 
don, Mr.  Bergwyn — you  think  I  am  a  Russian  agent. 
Well,  you  are  right.  I  am.  My  husband,  the  Baron, 
was  one." 

"Was?" 

"  He  is  dead.     Of  course  you  know  that." 

"Your  pardon;  I  did  not.  And  you  told  your 
people,  of  course,  that  you  were  coming  to  see  me  ?  " 

Again  she  understood  me;  and  again  she  laughed. 
"  Yes.  I  told  them  it  was  possible  I  might  have 
some  influence  with  you — some  personal  influence, 
of  course."  She  paused  and  added,  slowly:  "  But  I 
see  now  that  I  was  wrong." 

"  At  any  rate  I  think  we  may  now  say  we  under- 
stand each  other  and  this  matter,"  I  said  as  I  rose. 

"  You  will  join  us  ?  There  is  no  other  way  to  make 
your  interests  safe.  Russian  influence  is  para- 
mount." 

"  Forgive  me  if  I  hold  my  decision  over.  What 
you  have  said  has  greatly  impressed  me."  It  had, 
but  not  quite  in  the  way  she  may  have  thought. 

"  I  shall  see  something  of  you  while  you  are 
here?" 

"  How  long  I  remain  is,  of  course,  uncertain,"  I 
answered;  and  the  evasion  displeased  her. 

"  That  may  mean  no.  But  I  must  see  you.  I 
insist,  I  do,  indeed,  positively  insist;"  and  she  laid 
her  hand  on  my  arm  and  smiled  winningly. 

"  But  I  may  go  over  to  the  Austrian  side,  what- 


202  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

ever  that  may  be.  They  may  also  have  eloquent  ad- 
vocates." 

"  You  may  find  the  Queen's  chief  advocate  the 
most  difficult  to  resist.  I  think  I  ought  to  warn 
you." 

"Who  is  that?" 

"  The  Princess  Gatrina — a  very  beautiful  girl  and 
very  persuasive." 

Fortunately  the  start  I  gave  passed  unnoticed  as 
her  eyes  were  off  me  at  the  moment. 

"  It  seems  to  be  a  contest  of  beautiful  women, 
Baroness,"  I  said  with  a  bow. 

"  It  is  perhaps  fortunate  for  you,  therefore,  that 
you  are  now  only  a  business  man — with  a  short 
memory,"  she  retorted  with  a  glance  which  I  affected 
not  to  see. 

Then  an  unexpected  incident  followed.  I  accom- 
panied her  to  the  door  and  as  we  crossed  the  hall, 
Chris  was  lying  there.  He  got  up  and  she  looked 
at  him  and  paused. 

"  That  is  an  enormous  dog,  Mr.  Bergwyn.  I  do 
not  like  big  dogs." 

"  Chris  will  not  hurt  you.  He  is  gentle  as  he  is 
big — unless  on  necessary  occasions." 

"  You  call  him  Chris?"  she  exclaimed,  in  a  tone 
of  surprise.  "That  is  something  of  a  coincidence; 
I  hope  it  is  not  an  omen,"  and  she  gave  me  a  keen 
glance. 

"  Why  a  coincidence  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  the  Queen's  advocate — Gatrina. 
She  has  had  some  adventure  in  which  a  dog  named 
Chris  took  a  part.  I  hope  it  is  not  an  omen  that  you 


ELM  A  203 

will  side    with  her.      I  am    very  superstitious,  you 
know.     We  Serbs  are." 

But  she  was  not  a  Serb  and  was  far  too  sensible  to 
be  superstitious.  Besides,  there  was  an  expression 
on  her  face  as  she  drove  away  that  I  would  have 
given  a  good  deal  to  have  understood. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

DEVELOPMENTS. 

I  should  have  reckoned  it  bad  luck  to  run  up 
against  Elma  once  more  under  any  circumstances; 
but  it  was  much  worse  to  find  her  installed  here  in 
Belgrade,  a  woman  of  rank,  wealth  and  influence, 
in  close  touch  with  the  court  and  with  Gatrina,  and 
taking  a  part  in  the  game  of  political  intrigue  likely 
to  render  her  a  serious  opponent  to  my  purpose. 

There  was  no  use  blinking  at  ugly  facts,  or  at- 
tempting to  hide  from  myself  that  if  she  came  to 
learn  the  real  purpose  of  my  presence  in  Belgrade, 
she  could  do  me  incalculable  mischief;  and  I  did  not 
begin  to  persuade  myself  that  if  the  occasion  arose 
she  would  hesitate  to  do  it. 

It  was  in  this  wise.  In  those  silly,  calf  days  of  my 
boyish  infatuation  I  had  written  the  usual  wild,  high- 
falutin  nonsense  to  her — and  plenty  of  it.  Pouring 
out  my  soul  to  her,  I  had  thought  it  then:  making 
•an  egregious  young  ass  of  myself,  I  deemed  it  now; 
but  soulful  or  asinine,  there  were  the  letters  on  record 
against  me.  Nor  could  I  doubt  that  if  Elma  found 
me  attempting  to  use  my  influence  with  Gatrina 
against  the  plans  of  the  Russian  party  those  letters 
would  be  used  for  all  they  were  worth  to  checkmate 
that  influence. 

Elma  had  indeed  been  clever  enough  to  appeal  to 


DEVELOPMENTS  205 

me  to  bury  the  past  and  to  hint  that  she  was  afraid 
of  my  revealing  what  I  knew  about  her.  But  she 
had  meant  it  more  as  a  bluffing  appeal  to  my  sense 
of  honour.  She  knew  she  had  little  enough  to  fear 
from  any  revelations.  They  might  damage  her 
Court  influence;  but  the  Russian  authorities  who  em- 
ployed her  would  not  care  a  red  cent.  They  would 
have  no  inconvenient  scruples  so  long  as  she  was 
useful  to  them.  Very  probably  they  knew  all  about 
her  already,  and  had  perhaps  used  the  knowledge  to 
give  a  twist  to  the  screw  which  kept  her  zealous  in 
their  service. 

I  flinched  and  flushed  at  the  thought  of  those  let- 
ters being  read  by  Gatrina.  That  must  be  stopped 
somehow,  and  I  must  get  them  back  into  my  posses- 
sion. But  'how?  I  could  not  see  any  means  at 
present.  Elma  was  just  an  abominably  clever 
woman.  She  had  shewn  that  by  rising  to  her  pres- 
ent position  out  of  the  ashes  of  that  old  scandal  in 
Prague;  and  I  was  only  too  painfully  conscious  that 
in  any  play  of  wits  in  such  a  matter  she  would  almost 
certainly  outwit  me. 

Yet  disconcerting  as  was  this  personal  side  of  the 
matter,  it  was  not  by  any  means  the  most  disturbing 
result  of  that  talk  with  her. 

She  had  made  me  realise  that  the  obstacles  in  my 
way  were  vastly  greater  than  I  had  reckoned.  The 
whole  axis  of  the  position  seemed  to  have  shifted,  in- 
deed. I  had  come  to  Belgrade  with  the  somewhat 
vague  notion  that  by  means  of  my  wealth  and  the 
knowledge  I  had  gained  of  the  character  of  Prince 
Albrevics,  I  should  be  able  to  stop  the  proposed  mar- 


206  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

riage.  But  that  somewhat  arrogant  assurance  was 
beaten  out  of  me  at  a  stroke.  Money  was  useless 
here. 

I  saw  that  Gatrina's  marriage  was  the  centre  round 
which  two  at  least  of  these  ugly  schemes  of  high 
political  intrigue  actually  revolved.  It  was  one  of 
the  most  critical  issues  of  that  most  critical  time; 
and  in  regard  to  it  her  happiness  and  welfare  were 
just  the  last  things  to  which  anyone  concerned  gave 
five  cent's  worth  of  consideration. 

The  Court  scheme  meant  her  sacrifice  to  such  a 
man  as  this  Albrevics  in  order  that  she  might  be  out 
of  the  way  of  the  Queen's  project  to  secure  the  suc- 
cession for  her  brother.  The  Russian  plan  was 
scarcely  less  treacherous.  They  were  wishing  to  use 
her  as  a  counter  in  order  to  get  their  own  puppet  on 
the  Throne.  No  more  and  no  less. 

Then  there  was  the  third  plot — that  of  the  army; 
and  so  far  as  it  concerned  Gatrina  it  threatened  to  be 
worse  than  either  of  the  others.  If  it  came  to  a  head 
and  Elma's  grim  forecast  of  assassination  were  real- 
ised, it  would  be  directed  against  the  Obrenovics 
family  as  a  whole.  Gatrina,  as  a  member  of  that 
family,  would  be  in  actual  personal  danger ;  for  it  was 
difficult  to  think  that  one  so  directly  in  the  line  of 
succession  as  she  was  would  be  allowed  to  slip 
through  the  meshes  of  a  net  flung  wide  and  drawn  in 
by  strong,  angry,  merciless  hands. 

I  had  looked  for  anything  rather  than  this.  But 
Elma  had  outlined  the  picture;  and  my  own  concern 
for  Gatrina  soon  painted  in  the  details  in  lurid  and 
alarmist  colours. 


DEVELOPMENTS  207 

I  was  still  groping  for  the  guiding  thread  in  all 
this  tangled  skein  of  trouble  when  the  first  of  my 
appointed  visitors  was  announced,  and  I  had  to  as- 
sume my  role  of  hard-headed  business  man  in  regard 
to  the  proposed  loan. 

He  was  a  man  high  up  in  the  Government,  and  I 
listened  gravely  to  his  proposals,  putting  a  number  of 
objections  much  as  I  had  done  in  Vienna;  and  then 
said  that  I  had  heard  so  much  of  the  instability  of 
the  Government  and  of  plots  and  conspiracies,  that  I 
must  take  time  to  satisfy  myself  what  they  all  meant. 

"  You  need  have  no  apprehension,  Mr.  Bergwyn," 
he  declared  blandly.  "  The  Throne  and  the  Govern- 
ment have  never  been  more  secure ;  and  now  that  the 
vexed  question  of  the  succession  is  about  to  be  so 
happily  settled,  there  is  not  the  slightest  ground  for 
alarm." 

"To  be  settled  how?" 

"  By  the  marriage  of  the  Princess  Gatrina  to 
Prince  Albrevics.  All  faction  will  end  with  that." 

"And  Russia?" 

He  waved  his  hands  deprecatingly.  "  Russia  will 
accept  the  situation.  She  always  does,  when  once 
it  is  established." 

"  But  the  Queen's  popularity?  " 

"  Was  never  greater.  Her  strength  is  para- 
mount." 

"  And  her  intentions  as  to  her  brother's  succes- 
sion?" 

:t  The  merest  canard — absolutely  without  founda- 
tion." 


208  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  You  think  Prince  Albrevics  would  be  accepted 
by  the  country?" 

"  Personally  I  regret  he  is  not  a — not  more  dis- 
creet. But  he  will  reform  when  his  responsibilities 
grow." 

"  How  many  hold  that  view?  " 

"  He  is  not  popular,  it  is  true;  but  we  Serbs  are  a 
peace-loving  people  and,  when  a  thing  is  settled  and 
makes  for  peace,  we  accept  it  and  work  for  it." 

"And  the  army?" 

"  There  has  been  discontent,  I  know,  and  certain 
appointments  have  been  made  by  the  Crown  which 
have  provoked  criticism.  But  the  leaders  are  loyal 
and  sound.  There  will  be1  no  trouble." 

"  I  would  wish  to  convince  myself  at  first  hand. 
Whom  should  I  see  ?  I  want  the  name  of  a  man  who 
knows;  and  not  necessarily  a  Government  man." 

"  You  can  take  it  from  me." 

"  That  does  not  mean  you  would  rather  I  saw  no 
one?" 

He  flinched  at  the  blunt  question  very  slightly  and 
then  smiled.  "  Certainly  not.  I  am  not  so  foolish. 
You  have  come  to  convince  yourself  and  we  wish  to 
help  you  do  this.  There  is,  of  course,  some  dis- 
affection in  certain  regiments;  but  on  no  consider- 
able scale.  No  man  knows  the  feeling  of  the  army 
as  a  whole  better  than  Colonel  Petrosch.  And  you 
can  speak  to  him  freely.  He  is  the  better  man  for 
you  to  see,  perhaps,  because  he  is  not  by  any  means 
a  friend  of  the  Court." 

I  remembered  the  name  as  one  which  had  been 
given  me  by  my  Austrian  friends  in  Vienna;  and 


DEVELOPMENTS  209 

having  thus  obtained  what  I  wanted,  I  got  rid  of  my 
visitor  as  soon  as  possible. 

As  soon  as  he  had  gone  I  looked  up  the  note  I 
had  made  about  this  Colonel  Petrosch  and  was  sur- 
prised to  find  him  described  as  a  man  with  a  strong 
grievance  against  the  Government,  having  consider- 
able influence  in  the  army,  and  believed  to  be  using 
that  influence  against  the  Throne. 

This  looked  as  though  he  were  the  very  man  I 
sought,  and  I  resolved  to  go  to  him  at  once.  But 
I  was  to  have  a  stroke  of  good  fortune  in  that  matter. 
I  was  ready  to  start  when  my  servant,  Buller,  came 
in. 

!l  There  is  a  rough-looking  fellow  asking  for  you, 
sir,  and  says  you  sent  for  him.  But  I  thought  I'd 
better  tell  you  first.  I  told  him  you  were  busy  and 
that  he  had  better  write." 

"What  name?" 

"  I  couldn't  catch  his  name,  sir.  I  can't  under- 
stand the  language;  but  it  sounded  something  like 
Crash." 

I  laughed.  "  Karasch,  Buller.  Bring  him  up  at 
once;  and  be  very  civil  to  him.  He  wishes  to  be 
your  fellow-servant." 

Buller's  features  were  at  that  moment  a  study. 
Well-trained  servant  though  he  was,  and  correct  and 
phlegmatic  as  an  Englishman  could  be,  it  was  now 
beyond  his  power  to  conceal  the  dismay  and  disgust 
he  felt  at  the  prospect. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  stammered  at  length  and  turned  to 

go- 

"  He  saved  my  life,  Buller,  at  the  risk  of  his  own ; 


210  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

and  I  think  a  heap  of  him,  even  if  he  does  lack  a 
little  polish." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  said  now  in  his  most  correct  man- 
ner, and  went  out  to  return  in  a  moment.  "  This 
way,  Mr.  Crash,"  I  heard  him  say  as  he  opened  the 
door,  and  not  a  trace  of  feeling  was  on  his  stolid 
face  as  he  ushered  him  in. 

Karasch  was  vastly  impressed  at  finding  me  in  such 
surroundings  and  his  fine  dark  eyes  rolled  about  him 
with  a  gaze  of  wonderment  and  settled  first  upon 
Chris,  who  got  up  at  his  entrance,  and  then  upon 
me.  I  think  he  was  not  a  little  nervous  for  all  his 
attempt  to  appear  self-possessed. 

"  I  have  done  my  lord's  bidding,"  he  said  at  length. 

"  Is  your  arm  better,  Karasch  ?  " 

He  started  as  though  the  question  recalled  the  old 
tussle  between  us.  "  It  is  getting  well,  my  lord." 
He  felt  apparently  that  I  ought  to  be  addressed  by 
some  title. 

"  Good ;  then  sit  down  and  tell  me  what  you've 
done;  and  by  the  way,  don't  call  me  my  lord." 

A  glance  round  the  room  and  a  waive  of  the  hand 
shewed  me  his  thought.  "  As  you  please,  Excell- 
ency; I  am  only  your  servant/' 

"  Very  well,  we'll  leave  it  at  that.  Now  tell  me 
your  news." 

"  I  have  seen  the  friends  of  the  men  who  took 
away  the  lady,  and  I  know  who  they  were  serving.  I 
have  also  seen  her  and  know  who  she  is." 

"Who  hired  them?" 

'The  Duke    Barinski    of   Jagodina,  Excellency. 


DEVELOPMENTS  211 

She  is  the  Princess  Gatrina — but  the  men  did  not 
know  her." 

"Duke  Barinski!  Are  you  sure?"  I  exclaimed. 
This  was  news  indeed.  "Are  you  sure,  Karasch?" 

"  I  have  seen  the  man  with  whom  he  made  the 
bargain.  He  is  at  your  service  now,  Excellency;  I 
have  paid  him.  If  you  wish  to  see  him,  I  will  bring 
him  here." 

"  All  I  need  is  to  be  quite  certain.  He  would  not 
deceive  you?  " 

"  He  knows  better,  Excellency,"  answered  Kar- 
asch, with  a  dry,  significant  smile.  "  I  hold  his  life 
here;  "  and  he  held  out  his  hand  with  fingers  and 
thumb  pressed  together. 

"  Tell  me  all." 

"  There  is  but  little  to  tell,  Excellency."  He  ap- 
peared to  derive  some  sort  of  satisfaction  from  using 
this  title  frequently.  "  I  knew  where  to  go  for  the 
information,  as  I  told  you;  and  as  soon  as  I  had  done 
as  your  Excellency  bade  me  and  seen  a  doctor  about 
my  arm,  I  sought  the  men  out;  they  are  old  com- 
panions of  mine  and,  as  I  had  money  they  welcomed 
me.  For  three  days  we  drank  together  and  I  had 
the  story  from  three  or  four  of  them,  both  when  they 
were  drunk  and  when  sober;  and  it  was  always  the 
same.  The  Princess  was  at  the  great  house  of  the 
Baroness  von  Tulken  one  evening,  and  when  she 
wished  to  leave,  she  was  put  into  a  carriage  not  her 
own  with  two  of  the  men  dressed  in  her  livery.  They 
drove  her  by  a  certain  route  and  at  an  agreed  spot 
the  six  men  who  were  to  take  her  to  Maglai  stopped 
the  carriage  and  with  a  show  of  force  seemed  to  com- 


2*2  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

pel  the  coachman  to  drive  away  into  the  country, 
two  of  the  men  entering  the  carriage  to  keep  the 
Princess  quiet.  They  told  her  they  were  brigands; 
and  after  some  miles  they  compelled  her  to  alight  and 
ride  with  them.  They  were  to  take  her  to  Maglai 
and  to  receive  one  thousand  gulden,  not  three  as 
they  told  your  Excellency." 

"  But  the  witchcraft  business,  Karasch?  " 

"  The  Duke  Barinski  told  them  she  was  a  witch, 
Excellency,  who  had  been  detected  and  was  being 
sent  off  privately  in  this  way,  because  she  had  too 
many  friends  of  influence  to  be  tried  openly  in  Bel- 
grade. Had  they  known  who  she  was  really,  they 
would  have  been  afraid." 

"  Then  he  risked  her  very  life.  They  might  have 
killed  her." 

"  No,  Excellency;  because  not  a  kreutzer  was  to 
be  paid  to  them  at  Maglai  if  the  slightest  harm  was 
done  to  her.  It  was  clever." 

"  It  was  devilish,"  I  said,  hotly.  "  Where  in  Mag- 
lai were  they  to  take  her  and  who  was  to  pay  the 
money?" 

He  produced  a  slip  of  paper  with  a  name  and  ad- 
dress upon  it.  "  You  can  make  inquiries  if  you  wish, 
Excellency,"  he  said.  "  You  will  find  what  I  have 
said  is  the  truth.  It  is  the  Duke  Barinski's  plot- 
ting." 

'  You  don't  mean  he  went  so  far  as  to  see  these 
men  himself?" 

"  He  did  not  declare  himself,  Excellency;  but  he 
was  recognised." 

I  sat  thinking  a  moment  over  the  news. 


DEVELOPMENTS  213 

"Have  you  any  guess  as  to  his  motive?" 

"No;  I  could  have  none;  nor  could  my  friends," 
he  answered,  shaking  his  head. 

"  Would  your  men  bear  this  story  out  even  to  his 
face?" 

"  Why  not  ?  They  are  now  in  your  service — that 
is,  if  you  wish  me  still  to  pay  them." 

Money  was  not  to  be  so  entirely  useless  after  all, 
it  seemed.  "  Yes,  pay  them,  Karasch.  Have  you 
any  money  left? " 

"  I  have  brought  it;  "  and  he  produced  the  greater 
part  of  what  I  had  given  him. 

"  You  had  better  keep  it." 

"  It  will  be  safer  with  you.  You  can  give  it  me 
as  I  need  it,  Excellency;  "  and  he  laid  it  on  the  table. 

"  Take  what  you  want ;  "  and  he  took  a  very  mod- 
erate sum  which  he  declared  would  be  enough.  I 
told  him  then  that  for  the  present  he  had  better  not 
live  in  my  house  but  was  to  come  night  and  morning 
for  instructions,  and  to  let  me  know  how  to  com- 
municate with  him  instantly  in  the  event  of  my  need- 
ing him  in  any  pressing  emergency. 

His  news  gave  me  plenty  of  matter  to  chew,  and 
I  sat  turning  it  over  and  over  in  my  mind.  I  saw 
Elma's  pro- Russian  hand  in  it  plainly;  and  although 
Karasch  and  his  companions  could  make  no  guess 
at  the  motive  for  the  abduction,  I  could  make  one. 

Had  they  succeeded  in  the  scheme  of  getting 
Gatrina  to  Maglai  they  would  have  kept  her  there 
until  she  had  consented  to  marry  Duke  Barinski. 
Then  their  plan  to  secure  the  succession  would  have 
come  into  the  field  of  practical  politics;  the  Queen 


THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

would  have  been  quietly  checkmated;  Russian  influ- 
ence would  have  openly  backed  up  the  united  claim 
of  the  Duke  and  Gatrina;  and  the  crooked  path 
would  suddenly  have  been  made  smooth. 

Gatrina's  escape  from  her  guards  had  alone  pre- 
vented this  and  her  safe  return  to  Belgrade  had  no 
doubt  completely  disconcerted  the  schemers. 

But  they  were  not  of  the  kind  to  put  aside  the  plan 
because  of  this  check  and  we  might  look  for  some 
other  move  from  them  equally  daring,  cunning  and! 
far-reaching. 

They  had  acted  cleverly  indeed,  and  had  blinded 
their  tracks  successfully.  The  Duke  had  kept  care- 
fully in  the  background  and  Elma  had  so  far  retained 
the  confidence  of  Gatrina  as  actually  to  learn  from 
her  some  details  of  her  escape. 

I  did  not  forget  her  reference  to  the  "  adventure 
in  which  a  dog  called  Chris  "  had  played  a  part;  and 
I  might  gamble  on  it  that,  if  they  discovered  the  part 
I  had  taken,  I  should  soon  find  myself  the  object  of 
some  of  their  attentions.  And  they  were  antagon- 
ists whom  anyone  would  be  prudent  to  take  very 
seriously. 

Complications  were  developing  at  a  merry  rate; 
but  Karasch's  news  had  suggested  a  way  by  which 
one  of  Gatrina's  suitors  at  any  rate  might  be  driven 
from  the  field. 

This  was  to  face  the  Duke  himself,  tell  him  what 
I  knew,  confront  him  with  the  men  he  had  employed, 
and  see  what  the  effect  on  him  would  be  of  a  threat 
to  reveal  the  whole  plot  to  the  Court.  The  Queen's 
readiness  in  dealing  drastically  with  her  enemies 


DEVELOPMENTS  215 

would  frighten  him  surely  enough;  and  I  knew  the 
Russian  tactics  too  well  not  to  feel  assured  that,  if 
once  he  were  discovered  and  disgraced,  they  would 
drop  him  instantly  in  favour  of  some  shrewder  tool. 

Then  came  another  development.  A  chamberlain 
from  the  Court  brought  me  an  invitation  to  a  recep- 
tion for  the  following  night  at  the  Palace;  and  was 
at  some  pains  to  make  it  clear  that  it  was  to  be  held 
out  of  compliment  to  myself  and  "  those  other  illus- 
trious Magnates  of  America  "  who  were  associated 
with  me. 

Money  was  talking  loudly  enough  in  that,  at  any 
rate;  and  I  sent  him  away  with  an  assurance  of  my 
appreciation  of  the  honour,  expressed  in  such  flowery 
terms  as  occurred  to  me  at  the  moment.  Even  as  I 
was  speaking  to  him  my  thoughts  slipped  back  to 
what  Elma  had  said  about  the  "  Queen's  advocate." 

I  should  meet  Gatrina  again.  In  a  moment  a 
hundred  qualms  of  doubt  were  started  as  to  how  she 
would  receive  me,  rendering  me  uneasy,  restless,  and 
almost  nervous. 

What  would  she  say?  How  would  she  look? 
Would  the  brute  she  was  going  to  marry  be  present? 
Would  she  reproach  me  for  thus  again  forcing  my- 
self on  her?  Would  she  see  through  the  flimsy 
hypocrisy  of  my  pretended  financial  mission  ?  Would 
she  give  me  away  to  the  Court?  Should  I  get  a 
chance  of  telling  her  of  the  danger  in  which  she 
stood?  And  then,  somehow,  that  scene  on  the  hill 
at  Samac  a  week  before,  came  into  my  thoughts  and 
I  sat  smoking,  mooning  and  dreaming. 

Gatrina  seemed  so  desperately  far  removed  from 


216  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

me  now  and  the  opposing  forces  were  gathering  such 
strength  that  my  confidence  of  success  gave  ominous 
signs  of  wavering.  The  prospect  of  winning  her 
looked  like  no  more  than  a  forlorn  hope;  and  al- 
though I  was  as  determined  as  ever  to  fight  on  until 
I  was  actually  beaten,  I  felt  a  cold  chill  of  doubt 
settling  down  upon  me. 

Buller  entered,  breaking  my  reverie  just  at  that 
moment,  to  bring  me  a  card.  I  took  it  impatiently. 

"  Captain  Nikolitch,  from  Colonel  Petrosch." 

I  uttered  an  involuntary  exclamation  of  delight. 
My  visitor  was  a  man  who  had  been  my  close  and 
intimate  friend  in  that  past  time  in  the  Balkans ;  and 
coming  as  he  did  from  Colonel  Petrosch,  he  was  just 
the  man  of  all  others  able  to  help  me.  No  one  could 
have  been  more  welcome  at  such  a  juncture. 

"  Show  him  right  here,  Buller,"  I  said,  gleefully, 
standing  up  to  welcome  him  cordially. 

The  pendulum  had  swung  right  over  suddenly  and 
the  luck  was  once  again  on  my  side. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  ARMY'S  PLANS. 

Nikolitch  was  as  glad  to  meet  me  as  I  to  welcome 
him,  and  our  mutual  greeting  was  very  warm  and 
cordial. 

"  I  could  scarcely  believe  it  was  really  you,  Berg- 
wyn,"  he  said,  when  we  were  through  with  the  hand- 
shaking and  had  lighted  our  cigars.  "  That  was 
why  I  wrote  on  my  card  that  I  came  from  Colonel 
Petrosch.  I  can  scarcely  believe  it  now,  I  think;  " 
and  he  smiled.  He  was  a  year  or  so  older  than  I ;  a 
fair,  handsome,  frank-faced  fellow  with  a  winning 
manner  and  a  delightful  smile. 

"  It's  a  bit  like  a  fairy  tale,  perhaps.  How  did  you 
hear  of  me?  " 

"  What  a  question,  my  dear  fellow,  when  you're 
the  centre  of  financial  attraction  just  now  in  half  a, 
dozen  circles.  And  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  you're  a 
millionaire?  Why,  in  those  jolly  old  days  you  were 
as  poor  as  I  was  and,  worse  luck,  still  am." 

"They  were  jolly  old  days,  weren't  they?  I  am 
just  delighted  to  see  you  again.  Yes,  I'm  a  million- 
aire; and  if  you'd  done  as  I  wanted  you  to  then,  gone 
out  with  me  to  the  States,  you  would  be  one  too.  I 
had  a  toughish  time  of  it  for  a  year  or  two;  and  it 
was  all  luck  at  the  end.  Nothing  else.  I  got  hold 


218  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

of  a  mine  which  had  broken  the  hearts  of  the  men 
who  had  been  workng  it  with  me.  When  they  gave 
up  in  despair  I  got  it  for  next  to  nothing  and  held 
on;  and  inside  a  month  came  on  the  gold  by  pure 
accident  just  where  we  hadn't  looked  for  it.  My 
perseverance  had  paid  me  and  I  stepped  out  of  the 
mine  that  day  as  rich  as  a  man  need  wish  to  be. 
That's  all." 

"  You  were  always  a  dogged  beggar,"  he  said. 

"  I  don't  like  being  beaten." 

"  The  same  thing  another  way  round,"  he  laughed. 
"  And  so  you've  come  back  to  the  old  hunting 
ground  to  take  a  hand  here  as  a  big  financier.  You'll 
have  to  be  careful,  Bergwyn.  This  is  no  gold  mine." 

"  Tell  me  about  yourself." 

"Oh,  there's  nothing  to  tell;  nothing  much.  I 
entered  the  army  here,  and  having  some  influence, 
got  my  captaincy  sooner  than  I  deserved  it.  I  like 
it  well  enough;  but  I  wish  I'd  gone  with  you.  I'd 
rather  be  a  millionaire." 

"  Why  does  Colonel  Petrosch  send  you  to  me?  " 

"  I'm  a  favourite  of  his  a  bit,  and  of  others. 
They've  let  me  know  things,  you  see;  trust  me,  I 
suppose;  and  all  that.  When  I  heard  your  name 
mentioned  I  pricked  up  my  ears,  and  told  Petrosch 
1  fancied  I  knew  you.  He  wants  you  and  your 
money  bags  on  the  side  of  the  army  in  all  this  mess 
of  messes;  and  picked  me  out  as  a  sort  of  informal 
ambassador  to  negotiate  with  you.  Though  why  the 
devil  you  want  to  meddle  with  things  here  beats  me." 

"  I  had  the  Colonel's  name  given  me  this  morning 
as  a  man  who  could  tell  me  the  hang  of  things  in 


THE   ARMY'S   PLANS  219 

regard  to  the  intentions  of  the  army.  I  suppose  he 
could." 

Nikolitch  laughed.  "  If  he  can't  no  one  can,  Berg- 
wyn.  But  who  sent  you  to  him?  " 

I  told  him  the  name  of  the  Minister. 

"  By  the  blue  sky,  that's  a  curiosity.  Why,  old 
Petrosch  is  in  the  very  thick  of  the  army  plans  and 
dead  against  the  Court,  King,  Queen,  and  all  the 
rest  of  them.  He'll  grin  when  I  tell  him." 

"  The  Minister  assured  me  that  the  army  was  loyal 
to  the  throne,  and  that  the  Colonel  could  convince 
me  of  that.  He  admitted  there  was  some  disaffec- 
tion in  certain  regiments,  but  that  the  feeling  was 
insignificant." 

"  Oh,  he's  an  ass;  and  nothing  else.  That's  the 
usual  rot  talked  in  the  Court  circles;  and  of  course 
the  officers  don't  undeceive  them  and  shew  their 
hand." 

"And  what's  the  truth?" 

"  Why  that — of  course  we're  talking  as  old  friends, 
Bergwyn,  and  you  won't  repeat  what  I  say?" 

"  I  give  you  my  word  on  that.  I'm  going  to  talk 
to  you  presently  about  myself  on  the  same  under- 
standing." 

"  Well,  the  fact  is  then  that  we're  on  the  eve  of  a 
revolution;  and  there's  only  one  real  power  in  the 
country.  The  army.  They  can't  stand  the  Queen's 
methods — and  they  don't  mean  to." 

"  Show  me." 

"  I  can't  understand  either  the  King  or  the  Queen. 
She's  one  of  the  most  wonderful  women  that  ever 
drew  breath;  and  in  some  respects  the  ablest  and 


220  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

shrewdest.  In  others,  she  acts  like  a  perfect  fool. 
She  comes  from  the  people,  of  course;  and  that's 
against  her;  but  she  could  have  made  her  position 
absolutely  secure  if  she'd  shewn  a  gulden's  worth  of 
tact  in  the  right  direction.  But  sjhe  never  does. 
She  could  have  had  the  army  leaders  at  her  feet ;  but 
she  has  alienated  every  one  of  them,  by  sticking  all 
sorts  of  impossible  men,  relations  or  favourites,  at 
the  top  of  things;  and  degrading  every  man  of 
capacity  who  won't  kow-tow  to  her  in  everything. 
As  a  result,  bar  her  favourites  she  hasn't  a  friend  left 
in  the  army.  It's  the  same  in  everything  else;  and 
the  limit  has  been  reached." 

"And  the  King?" 

"  He  says  ditto  to  every  word  she  utters.  She 
can't  forget  she  came  from  the  gutter,  or  near  it; 
and,  having  power,  is  never  at  rest  unless  she  is  shew 
ing  it.  She  wants  us  all  to  be  too  afraid  of  her  to 
dare  to  remember  her  origin.  That,  at  least,  is  what 
many  of  us  think.  Anyhow,  she  has  made  the  pres- 
ent position  impossible  and  the  officers  are  going 
to  change  it.  It's  the  only  way  to  save  the  country." 

"  How  will  they  change  it  ?  " 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  By  a  revolution, 
Bergwyn;  a  peaceful  one,  if  possible;  but  a  revolu- 
tion, certainly." 

"If  possible?     What  does  that  mean?" 

"  The  abdication  of  the  King  and  Queen — if  they'll 
go." 

"  And  if  they  won't  go?  " 

"  They'll  have  to,"  he  replied,  with  another  shrug. 


THE   ARMY'S   PLANS  221 

''"  To  tell  you  the  truth,  there's  a  section  of  the 
officers  who  urge  violent  means." 

"  Assassination  ?  "  I  recalled  Elma's  prophecy. 

"  Yes,  it  comes  to  that,"  he  said,  gloomily.  "  I'm 
dead  against  violent  methods;  but  what  they  con- 
tend is  that  it  is  better  half  a  score  of  lives  should 
be  lost  than  as  many  thousands  by  a  civil  war.  Our 
hope — I  mean  the  hope  of  the  moderate  men  in  the 
army — is  that  the  King  will  see  the  uselessness  of 
resisting  the  army  and  go." 

"  You  are  convinced  that  the  army  will  stand  to- 
gether?" 

"  Oh,  yes.  Petrosch  gave  me  the  proofs  to  bring 
to  you; "  and  he  took  out  some  papers  and  plunged 
into  a  description  of  the  feeling  in  almost  all  the  regi- 
ments in  the  army. 

"  It  looks  convincing  enough  on  paper,"  I  said. 

"  My  dear  Bergwyn,  it's  the  result  of  months  of 
work  and  agitation,  and  you  may  rely  on  it.  And 
we  have  the  country  with  us.  Look  here;  "  and  out 
came  more  papers,  proving  that  the  feeling  of  people 
of  all  classes  was  on  the  side  of  the  army. 

"  There  is  only  one  real  power  in  Servia  to-day, 
Bergwyn.  The  army." 

"  And  why  does  Colonel  Petrosch  send  you  to  me 
with  all  this?" 

"  Two  reasons.  Either  that  you  may  be  induced 
to  join  our  side  at  once ;  or,  failing  that,  that  you  may 
be  persuaded  of  the  uselessness  of  financing  the  Gov- 
ernment or  any  other  faction  opposed  to  us." 

"And  your  own  opinion,  Nikolitch?" 

"  My  dear  fellow,  I'm  only  a  fly  on  the  wheel ;  but 


222  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

I  think  you  must  be  in  a  great  hurry  to  chuck  your 
money  away,  if  you  think  of  taking  any  side  at  all. 
The  army  will  win  in  the  end :  we  must,  for  nothing 
can  stop  us;  and  there  will  be  a  new  Government, 
and  with  a  new  King — Peter  Karageorgevics,  I  ex- 
pect— but  until  things  are  settled  what's  to  be  your 
security  for  any  loan  ?  " 

"  You  put  it  plainly,"  said  I,  with  a  smile  at  his 
bluntness. 

"  That's  what  I  came  for,  Bergwyn.  I  speak 
partly  as  old  Petrosch's  mouthpiece,  but  chiefly  as  an 
old  chum.  Mind  you,  when  the  new  Government  is 
in  the  stirrups  matters  may  be  different;  there's  a 
great  deal  got  to  happen  before  that,  however.  But 
I  suppose  you  don't  really  come  to  fool  your  money 
away?  " 

"  Is  that  a  mouthpiece  question  or  your  own?  " 

"  Petrosch  might  like  to  know,"  he  laughed,  strok- 
ing his  moustache;  "  but  of  course  I  shan't  tell  him  a 
word  you  don't  wish  me  to  repeat.  He  doesn't  think 
you  came  here  with  any  thought  of  such  business; 
but  he  does  want  to  kill  the  chance  of  your  doing  any 
with  others  than  the  army." 

"  If  the  army  really  holds  the  key  to  the  position 
I  might  wish  to  have  their  influence  for  a  certain 
purpose." 

"  He's  a  cute  devil,  and  that's  the  truth.  That's 
just  how  he  summed  up  your  visit.  But  of  course 
he  doesn't  know  what  the  purpose  is." 

"  Could  the  influence  be  got  ?  " 

"  My  dear  Bergwyn,  anything  could  be  got  in  this 
little  kingdom  of  ours — at  a  price.  I  fancy  his  no- 


THE   ARMY'S   PLANS  223 

tion  is  that  you  are  after  a  title  of  some  sort,  or  some 
concessions,  and  are  ready  to  buy  them  by  floating 
thia  loan.  That's  the  idea  in  the  Court  too,  I  know. 
I  chuckled  when  I  heard  it — but  then  I  know  you 
and  they  don't." 

"  No,  I  don't  want  either  a  title  or  concessions; 
but  I  can  see  now  the  gist  of  certain  hints  thrown 
out  this  morning.  What  I  do  want  is  to  get  to  the 
bottom  of  certain  things  here  in  the  first  place. 
You've  spoken  freely  enough  about  the  army,  are 
you  at  liberty  to  talk  about  other  matters?  " 

"  Of  course  I  am.     Fire  away,  ask  what  you  like." 

"  What  are  the  Court  intentions  about  the  suc- 
cession? " 

"  The  Queen  means  to  secure  it  for  her  brother — 
and  it's  that  which  has  put  the  final  touch  to  the  army 
discontent.  They  simply  won't  have  him;  and  yet 
it's  a  fact  that  the  formal  pronouncement  in  his 
favour  is  actually  drawn  up.  Some  of  our  people 
have  seen  the  document.  Of  course  it's  a  secret; 
but  we've  got  friends  even  in  the  Palace  itself." 

"  But  the  claims  of  the  Prince  Albrevics  and  his 
marriage  with  Princess  Gatrina?" 

"  Why,  of  course,  mere  rot.  The  Princess  stands 
in  the  direct  line  of  succession,  but  she's  a  woman 
and  barred  from  the  throne.  Albrevics  is  an  impos- 
sible; every  one  knows  that — and  a  very  unsavoury 
impossibility  too.  But  the  Princess  has  or  had  some- 
thing of  a  following  and  they  would  be  glad  to  see 
her  on  the  throne  if  a  husband  could  be  found  who'd 
be  received  as  King.  They  know  this  at  Court,  and 
so  the  plan  is  hatched  to  marry  her  to  Albrevics  and 


224  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

get  her  out  of  the  road.  It's  an  infernal  business,  for 
she's  just  as  good  as  gold.  But  she's  in  the  way  of 
the  Court  schemes  and  consequently  is  to  be  sacri- 
ficed. That's  a  specimen  of  the  royal  methods." 

"  Isn't  there  another  scheme  about  here — to 
marry  her  to  the  Duke  Barinski?  " 

"  So  you've  heard  that,  eh  ?  That's  the  Russian 
plan.  He's  a  tool  of  Russia  and  would  make  a  pretty 
puppet  for  them  if  they  could  succeed.  But  they 
won't.  The  army  won't  have  it;  and  what  the  army 
decides  will  be  done." 

"  You  astound  me,"  I  exclaimed  in  surprise  at  the 
freedom  with  which  he  spoke.  "  Does  everybody 
know  everybody  else's  schemes  in  this  extraordinary 
country  ?  " 

"  Pretty  well.  I  suppose  it  looks  odd  to  a  stranger; 
but  our  chief  talk  here  is  conspiracy  of  one  kind  or 
another.  Why,  even  the  plans  of  the  army  have  been 
carried  to  the  Court;  and  they  are  so  blind  that  they 
won't  believe  them.  It  isn't  etiquette  there  even  to 
think  that  anything  hostile  to  the  Court  can  happen." 

"  Are  there  any  other  plots?  "  I  asked  with  a  smile. 

"Heaps;  but  you've  got  hold  of  the  three  that 
count  for  anything;  and  only  that  of  the  army  will 
come  to  a  head.  Next,  please; "  and  he  threw  him- 
self back  in  his  chair  and  laughed  at  my  look  of  sur- 
prise. After  a  moment  he  added :  "  There's  only  one 
person  in  all  the  mess  I  pity — the  Princess  Gatrina. 
She  may  find  things  very  ugly;  although  there's  not 
a  soul  who  knows  about  her  who  would  do  her  an 
injury.  You've  heard  the  tattle  about  her?  " 

"What  is  that?" 


THE   ARMY'S   PLANS  225 

"  She  was  kidnapped  the  other  night;  at  least,  so 
\ve  believe.  At  any  rate  she  disappeared  and  no  one 
knew  where  she'd  gone.  There  was  a  story  that  she 
had  been  carried  off  by  brigands;  but  that's  all  rot,  of 
course.  Nobody  knows  exactly  what  happened  ex- 
cept herself,  perhaps ;  although  I  doubt  if  she  does." 

"  I  know,"  I  said,  quietly. 

"What?"  His  astonishment  was  complete. 
"  The  devil  you  do." 

"  I'm  going  to  tell  you,  Nikolitch :  as  my  friend, 
you  know,  not  the  Colonel's  mouthpiece." 

"  I'm  friend  first,  Bergwyn,  mouthpiece  only  after- 
wards— and  a  long  way  afterwards,  too." 

"  Well,  then,  I'm  here  because  of  the  Princess;  " 
and  I  told  him  as  briefly  as  I  could  of  the  adventure 
in  the  hills  and  Karasch's  discovery  of  the  part  played 
by  Duke  Barinski.  I  said  nothing,  however,  of  my 
feelings  for  Gatrina,  leaving  him  to  believe  merely 
that  I  was  anxious  for  her  safety. 

"  You're  a  lucky  devil,  Bergwyn,"  was  his  first 
comment.  "  I  wish  I  could  have  had  such  a  chance 
to  serve  her.  But  what  an  infernal  scheme!  What 
are  you  going  to  do?  " 

"  I  want  the  army  influence  to  protect  her  in  case 
of  trouble.  Now  you  understand.  How  can  I  get 
it?" 

"  Tell  Petrosch  what  you've  told  me  in  the  first 
place,  and  in  the  second,  pledge  yourself  to  negotiate 
a  loan  for  the  new  Government  as  soon  as  it's  well 
established." 

I  thought  a  moment.     "  No,  to  the  first  part,"  I 


226  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

said.  "  That's  for  ourselves  alone  at  present.  To 
the  second,  yes,  as  soon  as  you  like." 

"  He's  very  quick.     He'll  guess." 

"Guess  what?" 

He  smiled  significantly.  "  You  want  this  Albre- 
vics  marriage  off,  I  suppose." 

"  Any  woman  should  be  prevented  from  marrying 
such  a  brute." 

"  Of  course,"  he  replied,  drily,  and  paused.  "  You 
might  put  it  on  that  ground;  but  he  wouldn't  believe 
it  was  all.  We  don't  deal  much  in  platonic  affection 
in  Servia." 

"  I  don't  care  what  he  believes." 

"  I  don't  know  him  if  he  wouldn't  be  glad  to  be- 
lieve a  lot.  The  princess  is  very  much  in  the  way.  I 
told  you  no  one  wishes  her  any  harm." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  grave  look?  "  I  asked, 
for  his  face  was  very  serious. 

"  It's  a  very  ugly  matter.  I  told  you  what  the 
moderate  men  among  us  feel;  but  there's  the  other 
section  to  be  reckoned  with.  If  their  views  prevail, 
it  will  be  a  clean  sweep." 

"  A  clean  sweep  ?  " 

'  Yes;  every  one  connected  with  the  Obrenovics 
family  will  be  in  danger — even  the  Princess  herself." 

"  Do  you  mean     .     .     ."I  began,  excitedly. 

"  Yes,  I  mean  all  the  worst  that  may  be  in  your 
thoughts,  Bergwyn.  And  neither  you  nor  Petrosch 
himself,  nor  any  one,  might  be  able  to  save  her  in  the 
mad  mood  that  would  prevail  in  such  a  crisis.  It 
will  be  a  very  ugly  time." 

"  Do  you  think  the  other  section  will  prevail?  " 


THE   ARMY'S   PLANS  227 

"  Anything  is  possible  in  the  present  temper, 
Bergwyn." 

"  Good  God !  "  I  exclaimed,  intensely  moved  and 
alarmed  by  the  thoughts  which  this  admission  sug- 
gested. 

For  a  few  moments  we  were  silent. 

"  I  think  I  ought  to  tell  you  why  I  thought  you 
had  come  here,"  said  Nikolitch,  breaking  the  pause. 
"  Do  you  know  there's  an  old — old  associate  of  yours 
here?  Her  name  now  is  the  Baroness  von  Tulken." 

"  She  came  to  me  this  morning." 

"  She  gave  me  to  understand  you  were  coming 
here  on  her  account." 

I  laughed.  "  It  doesn't  amount  to  anything  what 
she  says." 

"  No;  but  she  talks,  Bergwyn,  and — well,  it's  none 
of  my  affairs,"  he  broke  off,  and  looked  at  me  as  if 
inviting  me  to  speak. 

"  Let  'her  talk,"  I  answered,  not  accepting  the  in- 
vitation. 

"  Then  it  isn't  anything  to  do  with  her?  " 

"  No,  nothing.  I've  told  you  the  only  reason  why 
I'm  here." 

"  I'm  afraid  you've  got  a  devilish  hard  task,  old 
fellow.  But  if  I  can  help  in  any  way,  use  me.  I 
must  go.  I've  duty  on.  What  shall  I  tell  Petrosch  ?" 
and  he  rose. 

"  That  I  want  the  influence,  and  that  to  get  it  I'll 
do  that  business  of  the  loan  for  the  new  Government 
— but  not  if  there's  to  be  any  violence  in  establishing 
it.  Prepare  him  in  that  way  and  arrange  for  me  to 
see  him  to-morrow." 


228  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Take  my  tip  and  tell  him  your  motive,  Berg- 
wyn." 

"  I'll  think  it  over,"  I  said;  and  after  arranging  to 
see  as  much  as  possible  of  one  another  during  my 
stay  in  the  capital  we  parted. 

After  he  had  gone  I  did  think  it  over  and  saw  one 
thing  clearly  enough.  I  must  secure  the  help  and 
influence  of  the  army  at  any  cost;  as  that  promised 
the  most  effective  means  of  protecting  Gatrina. 

On  the  whole  the  talk  with  Nikolitch  had  the 
result  of  restoring  my  confidence  and  raising  rny 
hopes  again.  There  were  plenty  of  difficulties  to  be 
overcome,  of  course;  but  if  the  army  was  resolved  to 
change  the  dynasty  and  was  strong  enough  to  force 
that  resolve  upon  the  country,  Gatrina's  chances  in 
regard  to  the  succession  were  as  good  as  dead;  her 
marriage  with  either  Prince  Albrevics  or  Duke  Bar- 
inski  would  be  objectless,  and  then — well,  she  would 
be  free  to  choose  for  herself. 

That  was  all  I  could  ask  for  and  I  awaited  the 
interview  with  Colonel  Petrosch  with  keen  anticipa- 
tion. 

On  the  following  morning  Nikolitch  came  to  re- 
port that  the  Colonel  had  been  suddenly  called  away, 
however,  and  that  he  would  come  to  see  me  the  next 
day. 

"  Anything  fresh  occurred?  "  I  asked. 

"  Something  is  always  occurring  just  now,  Berg- 
wyn.  But  I  fancy  the  Colonel  has  really  gone  to 
avoid  the  reception  at"  the  Palace  to-night.  He 
doesn't  wish  to  be  present  himself  for  one  thing; 
and  for  another,  I  fancy  he  wishes  you  to  go  there 


THE   ARMY'S   PLANS  229 

without  having  committed  yourself  to  us.  You're  to 
be  tackled,  of  course — the  show  is  got  up  for  that 
purpose,  I  suppose — and  crediting  you  with  the 
blunt  methods  of  certain  Americans,  he  thinks  you 
might  feel  impelled  to  tell  the  truth.  We  don't  work 
in  that  crude  way  here,  you  know." 

I  smiled.  "  Did  you  say  anything  about  the  Prin- 
cess? " 

"  Very  little.  I  dropped  a  hint  that  you  were 
anxious  about  her  safety.  He  made  just  the  answer 
I  should  have  expected." 

"Well?" 

"That  he  wished  to  Heaven  she  could  be  induced 
to  leave  the  country." 

"  And  so  do  I ;  but  I  doubt  it.  You'll  be  at  the 
Palace  to-night,  I  suppose." 

"  I.  My  dear  fellow,  no.  There'll  be  no  place  for 
small  fry  like  me  there.  But  I  can  tell  you  who  will 
be  there;  "  and  he  rattled  away  with  a  lot  of  Court 
gossip  until  I  pulled  him  up. 

"  There's  one  thing  I  have  to  do  to-day,  Nikolitch : 
perhaps  you  can  help  me.  I  want  to  satisfy  myself 
from  outside  sources  that  the  army  can  do  all  you 
think.  Whom  should  I  see?  " 

"  You  must  take  it  from  us  that  we  are  united, 
Bergwyn:  for  no  one  knows  it.  That  the  army,  if 
united,  must  be  all  powerful,  you  can  learn  from  any 
one  anywhere.  No  one  doubts  it.  Here,  see  these 
people;  "  and  he  wrote  down  a  number  of  names  of 
influential  people  in  various  positions. 

I  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  prosecuting  my  in- 
quiries; and  everywhere  I  went,  I  heard  the  same 


230  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

verdict.  That  grave  troubles  were  close  at  hand, 
and  that  everything  must  turn  upon  the  attitude  of 
the  army.  Of  that  no  one  entertained  a  shadow  of 
a  doubt. 

Nothing  in  all  that  strange  time  amazed  me  more 
than  the  openness  with  which  the  plans  of  the  oppos- 
ing parties  were  canvassed  on  all  sides. 

Every  one  appeared  to  be  agreed  that  a  revolu- 
tion of  some  kind  was  actually  impending.  The  atti- 
tude of  the  two  Great  Powers  concerned  was  matter 
of  free  talk.  Russia  had  been  favoured  under  Milan; 
Austrian  influence  had  now  the  upper  hand  under 
Alexander  and  his  Queen.  Austria  was  hopeful  to 
maintain  the  King;  Russia  resolved  to  countercheck 
him  and  regain  her  former  influence.  The  army 
was  speaking  for  the  nation  at  large  and  equally  op- 
posed to  both  the  Powers. 

These  aims  and  the  possible  methods  of  attaining 
them  respectively  seemed  to  be  known  to  all;  but 
nowhere,  save  in  her  immediate  circle,  was  a  good 
word,  nay,  scarcely  a  civil  word,  used  toward  the 
Queen.  The  note  everywhere  was  one  of  inveterate 
hostility,  almost  of  execration.  And  this  was  the 
most  sinister  omen  of  all,  not  only  as  affecting  her. 
but  as  touching  Gatrina  also,  of  whom  I  heard  many 
harsh  things  said. 

It  was  thus  in  a  mood  of  troubled  uneasiness  that 
I  set  out  to  attend  the  reception  at  the  Palace,  while 
my  private  doubts  as  to  how  Gatrina  would  meet  me 
in  my  altered  character  added  a  special  poignancy  to 
my  anxiety  and  disquietude. 

I  made  the  most  strenuous  efforts  to  hold  myself 


THE   ARMY'S   PLANS  231 

well  in  hand  and  maintain  complete  self-restraint; 
but  when  at  length  my  eager  eyes  found  her,  my 
heart  began  hammering  against  my  ribs  with  quite 
painful  excitement,  in  which  dread  and  delight  were 
almost  equally  mingled. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE. 

The  reception  was  outwardly  a  very  brilliant  affair 
indeed,  with  multitudes  of  flashing  lights,  clever 
colour  effects,  lavish  decoration,  and  a  prodigal 
wealth  of  flowers,  as  the  setting  for  the  showy  uni- 
forms of  handsome  men  and  the  magnificent  dresses 
and  jewels  of  pretty  women. 

One's  first  impression  was  an  irresistible  tribute  to 
the  perfect  aesthetic  triumph  which  had  been 
achieved.  But  that  impression  was  only  momentary. 
Knowing  as  I  did  the  cloud  of  peril  which  encircled 
the  whole  court,  the  scene  soon  appeared  to  me  to 
be  rather  a  ghastly  mockery  of  Fate  than  a  bit  of 
beautiful  realism; and  I  caught  myself  wondering  how 
men  could  caper  and  jest  and  women  smile  and  frivol 
in  pretended  unconsciousness  of  everything  but  the 
pleasure  of  the  hour. 

I  recalled  the  chamberlain's  words  of  the  day 
before — that  the  whole  thing  was  arranged  in  my 
honour.  My  honour  indeed !  To  kowtow  to  the  man 
with  the  dollars !  To  bow  the  knee  to  mammon !  To 
fool  and  weedle  me  and  dazzle,  me  with  a  beautiful 
farce  gorgeously  mounted,  until  I  would  loose  the 
strings  of  my  own  and  my  friend's  money  bags,  and 
pour  out  the  golden  stream  to  enable  this  kind  of 
burlesque  to  be  continued. 

Then  I  caught  sight  of  Gatrina  and  fell  into  a  con- 


THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE  233 

dition  of  troubled  anxiety  and  delicious  anticipation 
from  which  some  one  recalled  me  in  order  to  present 
me  to  their  Majesties — the  young  King  and  that  most 
remarkable  of  women,  Queen  Draga. 

I  am  not  likely  to  forget  that  moment.  The  King 
who,  in  obedience  to  one  of  those  impulses  of  his 
overpowering  self-will  had  had  courage  to  choose 
his  wife  from  among  the  people  and  was  by  nature, 
I  believe,  a  capable,  clever  and  strong  man,  was  over- 
shadowed by  his  magnificent  Queen.  Beautiful  she 
was  not;  the  face  was  too  strong,  too  powerful,  too 
imperious;  and  although  she  was  grace  personified, 
in  every  movement  and  gesture  of  her  perfectly- 
framed  figure,  it  was  by  the  wonderful  magnetism  of 
her  personality  that  she  dominated  all  who  once 
yielded  to  the  magic  influence  she  exercised. 

The  few  words  of  greeting  which  she  spoke  to  me, 
welcoming  me  to  Belgrade,  and  expressing  the  hope 
that  I  liked  the  capital,  were  uttered  with  a  charm 
that  made  the  merest  commonplace  phrase  beautiful, 
and  endowed  it  with  the  point  of  significant  meaning 
of  rare  eloquence.  At  least  so  it  all  appeared  to  me 
while  my  own  words  sounded  awkward,  clumsy  and 
crude  in  contrast. 

I  was  replying  to  a  question  in  this  way  when 
Gatrina  approached  the  Queen,  and  I  saw  her  look  at 
me  and  start  in  intense  surprise;  flushing  first  and 
then  turning  white  as  the  gauze  dress  she  wore,  her 
eyes  unable  to  leave  my  face. 

A  few  seconds  passed  while  I  went  on  with  my 
reply,  rambling  almost  at  random  in  my  confusion 
as  I  fought  my  way  back  to  self-possession. 


234  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

The  Queen  noticed  something  in  my  manner,  and 
I  saw  the  expression  of  her  wonderful  eyes  change 
for  a  fleeting  instant  until  she  dropped  them  and 
appeared  not  to  observe  my  confusion. 

What  I  said  I  know  not ;  but  she  smiled  graciously 
and  saying  that  we  should  have  another  opportunity 
of  discussing  the  matter,  turned  to  Gatrina. 

"  I  must  present  you  to  one  of  my  favourites,  Mr. 
Bergwyn,  the  Princess  Gatrina.  She  is  most  kindly 
disposed  to  all  Americans,  and  will  tell  you  all  about 
Belgrade." 

The  next  moment  I  was  bowing  to  Gatrina  and  the 
King  and  Queen,  and  their  circle  moved  away  leaving 
us  together.  I  mumbled  some  commonplace  about 
being  charmed  to  have  such  a  guide.  This  was  for 
the  benefit  of  those  within  earshot  about  us;  and 
before  she  could  reply  an  interruption  came. 

Elma  swept  up,  superbly  dressed  and  full  of  con- 
fidence, and  held  out  her  hand  to  me. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Bergwyn  ?  I  am  glad  to 
see  an  old  friend  here.  How  pale  you  look,  Gatrina. 
Are  you  ill?" 

"  No,  thank  you.    The  room  is  hot." 

"  That  is  so  often  the  cause,  is'nt  it  ?  "  she  replied, 
with  flagrant  and  almost  insolent  disbelief  in  the  ex- 
cuse. "  You  must  be  careful,  dear.  You  are  not 
strong  since  your  terrible  experience  recently.  Do 
you  know  of  the  princess's  adventure  and  escape,  Mr. 
Bergwyn  ?  " 

"  I  have  but  just  been  presented  to  her,  Baroness." 

"  Oh,  I  thought  you  had  met  before,"  she  ex- 
claimed. "  Of  course,  I  don't  know  why — but  then 


THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE  235 

one  never  does  know  why  one  makes  such  mistakes, 
does  one  ?  Let  us  go  and  sit  down.  You  are  such  an 
object  of  attention,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  that  you'll  be  pos- 
itively mobbed  if  we  stand  here.  It  isn't  every  day  we 
see  an  American  millionaire  in  Belgrade  where  we're 
all  as  poor  as  mice  in  churches." 

She  led  the  way  to  some  seats,  and  not  knowing 
what  else  to  do,  we  followed.  She  played  with  admir- 
able confidence.  What  she  knew  or  guessed  about  that 
time  in  the  Bosnian  hills,  I  could  not  tell,  any  more 
than  I  could  see  her  motive.  But  she  seemed  to 
understand  that  she  had  us  at  a  disadvantage  and 
made  the  most  of  it  adroitly.  She  was  resolved  to 
pose  before  Gatrina  as  an  old  friend  of  mine,  and  I 
did  not  see  how  to  stop  her,  although  every  word  had 
its  barb  for  me. 

"  You  would  be  surprised,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  and  I 
think  you  ought  to  be  flattered,  at  the  number  of 
people  who  wish  to  know  you,"  she  said  as  soon  as 
we  were  seated.  "  The  moment  I  said  you  were  an 
old  friend  of  mine,  I  was  pestered,  literally  pestered, 
by  people  wanting  to  be  introduced." 

"  I  am  here  on  business  only,  Baroness." 

"  Here,  to-night  you  mean.  Oh,  yes,  of  course,  I 
know  that.  But  you  used  to  have  a  keen  liking  for 
pleasure  you  know;"  and  she  smiled  as  though  she 
knew  a  hundred  secrets  about  me  all  elaborately  dis- 
sipated and  disgraceful. 

"  I  did  not  mean  to-night,"  I  corrected.  "  I  meant 
my  visit  to  Belgrade." 

"  Of  course,  how  very  stupid  of  me.  Why,  it 
might  have  sounded  as  if  I  meant  that  in  speaking  to 


236  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

Gatrina  you  would  be  thinking  of  business."  She 
laughed  with  a  sort  of  malicious  gaiety.  "  How  very 
stupid  I  am.  But  then,  we  do  call  you  the  Queen's 
Advocate,  don't  we,  Gatrina?  " 

"Mr.  Bergwyn  may  misunderstand  you, Baroness." 

"  Oh,  no,  not  the  least  fear  of  that.  We  under- 
stand one  another  perfectly,  do  we  not,  Mr.  Berg- 
wyn?" 

"  In  what  way  do  you  mean,  Baroness?  "  I  asked, 
pointedly. 

She  took  up  the  challenge  readily  and  laughed, 
quite  joyously.  "  Why  as  old  friends,  old  and  inti- 
mate friends  ought  to  understand  one  another,  of 
course.  What  else  should  I  mean?"  Deny  that  old 
friendship  to  Gatrina,  if  you  dare,  was  in  the  look 
she  gave  me. 

"  The  seven  years  which  have  passed  since  we  last 
met,  Baroness  have  been  the  stern  years  of  my  life," 
I  answered,  for  Gatrina's  benefit.  "  And  in  them  I 
have  forgotten  the  follies  of  my  childhood  in  the  real 
life  of  the  world." 

"  What  a  sage  you  must  have  become ! "  she 
laughed;  but  the  laugh  was  more  palpably  forced 
than  before.  "  Do  you  know,"  she  added,  "  I  am  just 
dying  to  tell  you  of  this  adventure  of  Gatrina's  among 
the  brigands.  May  I,  Gatrina?  " 

"  No.  It  would  not  interest  Mr.  Bergwyn,  nor 
amuse  me." 

'  That  was  the  adventure  in  which  the  dog,  Chris, 
played  a  part ;  as  I  told  you  yesterday,  Mr.  Bergwyn. 
Isn't  it  an  extraordinary  coincidence,  Gatrina,  that 
Mr.  Bergwyn  should  have  an  immense  dog,  positively 


THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE  237 

an  immense  creature  of  the  same  name,  Chris?  I 
declare  I've  been  thinking  about  it  ever  since  I  left 
your  house ; "  and  she  turned  to  me  with  a  glance. 
Her  audacity  increased  with  every  fresh  thrust  she 
made. 

"  There  are  many  big  dogs  in  the  world,  Baroness, 
and  not  nearly  enough  names  to  go  round.  Thou- 
sands of  them  must  bear  the  same;  and  a  dog  is  not 
like  us,  you  see,  and  cannot  change  its  name." 

"  Your's  is  such  a  splendid  creature,  too,"  she 
said,  ignoring  this.  "  Huge,  almost  black,  smooth- 
coated;  just  the  kind  of  dog  you  would  love, 
Gatrina." 

"  You  make  me  curious.  I  must  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  it,  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  said  Gatrina, 
steadily,  looking  at  me  for  the  first  time  since  I  had 
spoken  to  her.  She  was  quite  calm  and  self-collected 
now,  and  Elma's  interposition  had  served  one  good 
purpose.  It  had  given  us  both  time  to  get  over  the 
surprise  and  confusion  of  the  meeting. 

"  It  will  give  me  great  pleasure,  Princess,"  I  an- 
swered gravely.  I  understood,  of  course,  that  she 
did  not  intend  Elma  to  know  the  truth  about  the  hill 
business. 

"You  are  feeling  better  again  now,  dear?"  said 
Elma,  solicitously.  "  I  am  so  glad.  I  wonder  what 
upset  you.  However,  you  have  got  over  it,  and  that's 
the  great  thing.  I  suppose  it  must  have  been  the  heat 
unless  " — with  a  pause  and  a  mischievous  shrug  of  the 
shoulders — "  unless  it  was  the  shock  of  meeting  Mr. 
Bergwyn  so  unexpectedly." 

"  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  the  implied  compliment, 


238  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

Baroness.  Do  you  think  the  Princess  expected  an 
American  citizen  to  wear  a  cowboy's  dress  or  a  red 
man's  war  paint?  "  I  laughed,  and  Gatrina  joined  me. 

"  I  assure  you,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  the  Baroness  can 
make  the  most  wonderful  mistakes,"  she  said.  "  I 
did  not  understand  for  the  moment  what  she  meant 
about  your  dog;  but  I  believe  I  see  it  now.  I  do, 
indeed."  She  was  a  better  actress  than  Elma  after 
all,  and  her  merry  laugh  now  was  a  most  natural  one. 

"  I  must  plead  my  complete  mystification,  I  fear." 

"  Of  course,  you  can  both  misunderstand,"  said 
Elma,  spitefully. 

"  I  really  must  tell  you  now,  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  de- 
clared Gatrina;  "although  I  said  just  now  it  would 
not  interest  you.  Elma  has  made  it  interesting  and 
quite  amusing,  although  the  adventure  she  speaks  of 
was  very  far  from  being  amusing.  You  know  there 
are  still  some  brigands  left  in  the  Bosnian  and  Herzo- 
govinian  hills." 

"Brigands?"  I  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  astonish- 
ment. 

"  I  am  afraid  we  must  admit  it.  Well,  some  of 
them  conceived  the  idea  that  if  they  carried  me  off 
they  would  get  a  good  ransom ;  and  they  did  it.  But 
they  did  not  get  the  ransom,  for  I  escaped.  After  a 
most  exciting  ride  I  was  saved  by  a  peasant  with  a 
big  dog,  called  Chris;  and  because  you  have  a  dog 
of  the  same  name,  I  really  believe  the  baroness  thinks 
you  must  be  a  peasant  in  disguise  of  an  American 
millionaire.  Isn't  it  ingenious  and  clever  of  her?  " 

"  I  did  not  say  anything  of  the  kind,"  snapped 
Elma,  viciously. 


THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE  239 

"  Of  course,  we  have  tried  to  let  as  little  as  possible 
get  known  of  the  matter,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  but  this 
delicious  theory  of  the  baroness's  has  made  such  a 
joke  of  it,  that  really  I  think  I  must  tell  everybody 
now.  Would  you  mind  if  I  were  to  say  plainly  that 
you  are  not  an  American  gentleman  but  a  Bosnian 
peasant,  and  that  I  know  that  to  be  true  because  you 
have  a  big  dog  called  Chris?  It's  such  a  convincing 
reason,  you  see." 

"  Anything  that  would  associate  me  with  you, 
Princess,  would  be  a  pleasure,"  I  returned,  with  a 
bow  and  a  smile,  as  if  I  were  paying  her  a  mere  con- 
ventional compliment. 

"  You  are  trying  to  make  me  appear  very  ridicu- 
lous, Gatrina,"  exclaimed  Elma,  angrily. 

"  I  declare  I  shall  tell  the  Queen  and  get  her  to  let 
us  have  a  tableau  in  which  I  should  be  the  maiden  in 
distress,  and  you  the  peasant  rescuer,  Mr.  Bergwyn. 
You  could  get  a  very  picturesque  dress,  you  know; 
and  I  am  sure  you  could  play  the  part.  But  to  make 
it  complete  we  ought  to  have  the  baroness  in,  because 
it's  her  idea;  and  yet  I  don't  see  what  part  to  give 
her,"  and  Gatrina  laughed. 

"  I  think  I  can  offer  a  suggestion,"  said  I,  delib- 
erately. "  We  could  reverse  the  thing ;  and  instead 
of  the  Baroness  being  the  one  to  discover  the  truth, 
let  her  have  planned  your  abduction." 

Elma  started,  her  eyes  flashed  with  sudden  anger 
at  me,  and  she  changed  colour. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Baroness  ?  You  are  not 
well,"  said  Gatrina  with  a  startled  glance  at  me,  fol- 
lowed by  a  searching  look  at  Elma's  white  confusion. 


24o  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  It  is  my  turn  to  feel  the  heat,"  she  replied,  trying 
to  force  a  laugh.  "  Really,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  I  shall 
begin  to  be  afraid  you  have  some  effect  on  the  atmos- 
phere. First  it  upset  Gatrina,  and  now  me." 

"  You  did  not  like  my  suggestion,  I  see.  I  will 
withdraw  it,"  I  answered,  quietly.  "  Pray  pardon 
me."  Gatrina  sat  thinking  hard ;  and  I  guessed  I  had 
started  the  line  of  thought.  "  It  is  a  curious  thing," 
I  went  on,  as  if  merely  to  cover  the  pause ;  "  but  I 
have  had  more  than  one  experience  of  the  kind.  I 
mean  where  I  have  been  in  conversation  with  people 
and  suddenly,  without  any  palpable  cause,  they  have 
been  overcome — by  the  atmosphere." 

"  You  must  be  a  dangerous  man,"  laughed  Elma, 
who  was  quickly  recovering  herself. 

"  Not  dangerous,  I  trust,  to — my  friends  " ;  and  I 
bowed  and  smiled,  and  gave  her  a  look  which  she 
understood. 

We  were  interrupted  then  by  some  one  who  came 
from  the  Queen. 

"  Her  Majesty  desires  me  to  remind  your  Highness 
that  the  dancing  is  about  to  commence,"  he  said  to 
Gatrina,  and  added  to  Elma,  "  Her  Majesty  desires 
to  speak  with  you  at  once,  Baroness." 

Elma  rose.  "  I  suppose  I  am  interfering  with  your 
business  and  so  am  ordered  away,"  she  said  with  a 
sneer. 

"  Will  you  give  me  a  dance,  Princess  ?  "  I  asked. 
The  moment  we  were  alone  the  feeling  of  restraint 
was  revived. 

"  It  is  by  the  Queen's  desire,"  she  answered,  with 
a  shrug  as  she  put  the  tips  of  her  fingers  on  my  arm 


THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE  241 

and  I  led  her  away.  It  was  a  waltz  and  we  danced  it 
in  silence.  At  the  close  I  did  not  know  what  she 
would  wish  to  do,  and  as  I  hesitated,  she  said  sud- 
denly : 

"  I  suppose  we  must  keep  up  the  pretence.  We 
are  to  go  through  into  the  further  conservatory." 
The  place  was  empty  save  for  a  couple  of  chairs  mak- 
ing a  sort  of  cosy  corner;  and  as  I  guessed  the  ar- 
rangement was  of  the  Queen's  making,  I  blessed  her 
for  her  unwitting  thoughtfulness. 

Gatrina  was  very  pale,  and  as  she  sat  down  she  ex- 
claimed impulsively: 

"  It  is  almost  maddening.  You  might  have  spared 
me  this." 

"  What  is  maddening?  " 

"  Please  not  to  pretend  you  don't  understand. 
That  can  only  make  matters  worse  than  they  are." 

"  I  understand  that  I  wish  very  urgently  to  speak 
to  you ;  but  if  you  would  prefer  another  time,  I  will 
go ;  "  and  I  got  up. 

"  And  so  force  me  to  give  some  false  explanation 
to  the  Queen  of  what  I  cannot  explain  truly.  Thank 
you." 

I  sat  down  again.  "  Can't  we  clear  the  air  a  bit?  " 
I  asked. 

"  Having  done  this  miserable  thing  you  pretend 
not  to  know  what  it  is.  I  suppose  you  can  see  that 
all  this  is  arranged.  That  I  was  to  dance  with  you, 
make  myself  agreeable  to  you,  bring  you  here  where 
we  could  be  undisturbed,  and  then  talk  you  into 
carrying  out  this  miserable  loan.  You  can  see  that 
surely,  as  clearly  as  you  can  see  how  successful  you 


242  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

have  been  in  humiliating  me.  You  must  be  very  glad 
and  proud  of  your  success." 

"  Thank  you." 

"  Then  if  you  didn't  plan  it,  why  didn't  you  let  me 
know  why  you  were  coming  to  Belgrade?  Why  not 
tell  me  who  you  were  really  ?  Why  not  give  me  time 
and  means  to  avoid  you  ?  Oh,  it  is  intolerable !  You 
knew  I  was  to  play  jackal  for  the  Queen  with  the 
American  money-man.  Elma  herself  told  you  I  was 
what  she  calls  the  Queen's  advocate.  Ugh !  " 

"  I  don't  like  to  hear  you  speak  of  the  Baroness 
von  Tulken  by  her  Christian  name,  as  if  she  were  your 
friend." 

"  Is  it  one  of  the  conditions  of  your  financial  busi- 
ness that  you  control  the  friendships  of  the  Court  of 
Belgrade?" 

She  was  unreasonably  angry,  and,  of  course, 
abominably  unjust. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  do  me  that  injustice?  I 
could  not  possibly  know  that  the  Queen  would  inten- 
tionally throw  us  together,  and  as  for  humilia- 
tion  " 

"  You  knew  it  yesterday.  The  Baroness — Elma, 
told  you  so."  I  smiled  at  the  aggressive  way  in 
which  she  paused  and  threw  up  her  head  as  she  made 
the  correction  in  the  name;  and  the  smile  irritated 
her  to  still  further  anger.  "  I  dislike  evasion  and 
pretence,  Mr.  Bergwyn." 

I  winced  a  bit  under  the  lash  of  her  words,  and 
paused ;  and  just  at  that  moment  my  memory  played 
me  a  prank.  That  scene  at  the  camp  when  we  had 
our  first  sharp  will  contest  leapt  suddenly  into  my 


THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE  243 

thoughts,  and  when  her  face  had  worn  pretty  much 
the  same  resolute  angry  expression.  Then  I  leaned 
back  in  my  chair  and  replied  very  deliberately : 

"  That's  just  where  you're  wrong,  I  think.  If 
you  knew  anything  about  me  you'd  know  I  like  eva- 
sion and  pretence  and  falsehood.  The  man  who  can 
do  a  dirty  unmanly  trick  in  the  dirtiest  and  most  sel- 
fish way  is  just  my  type;  and  if  he  can  do  it  to  a 
woman — in  the  way  I've  done  it  to  you,  for  instance 
— he's  my  hero.  Of  course,  he  must  be  a  big  sort  of 
brute;  cunning,  despicable,  and  mean;  a  clever  beast 
at  getting  women  into  a  false  position  so  that  he  can 
enjoy  a  laugh  to  himself  by  making  them  suffer — 
and  the  more  they  suffer  the  more  he  hugs  himself. 
You  know  the  kind  of  man ;  you  must,  because  from 
what  you've  said  about  me " 

"  I  don't  wish  to  hear  any  more  about  your  ideals, 
thank  you." 

"  I  was  only  rilling  in  the  details  to  your  rough 
outline.  But  what  I  want  you  to  understand  is,  your 
outline  is  right  and  that  you  have  just  such  a  brute  to 
deal  with  in  me." 

She  did  not  answer  for  quite  a  time  and  sat  tearing 
to  pieces  nervously  a  leaf  she  had  plucked  from  a 
plant  near. 

"  I  did  not  say  anything  of  the  kind." 

"  You  see  it's  this  way,"  I  said,  not  heeding  her 
words.  "  I  came  to  Belgrade  to  humiliate  you,  to 
insult  you,  to  trample " 

"  Don't,  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  she  cried,  quickly. 

I  threw  up  my  hands  as  one  who  is  aggrieved. 
"  You  won't  let  me  tell  you  the  truth,  you  see.  I 


244  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

think  it's  a  little  hard  on  me,  anyway.    A  man  doesn't 
get  many  chances  of  complete  self-revelation;  and  I 

was  just  enjoying " 

She  was  looking  straight  out  in  front  of  her  and 
turned  her  head  with  one  swift  glance  that  stopped 
my  banter.  I  broke  off  and  said  very  earnestly : 

"  If  I  did  not  come  for  that  purpose  then  I  came  to 
serve  you." 

"  You  should  not  have  come  at  all.  You  cannot 
serve  me." 

"  On  the  contrary  I  have  already  done  so.  I  know 
what  you  do  not — the  reason  behind  your — behind 
the  supposed  brigand  business." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  You  heard  what  part  I  suggested  for  the  Baro- 
ness von  Tulken  in  the  tableau.  She  would  know 
how  to  play  the  part  to  the  life." 

She  sat  up  suddenly  and  faced  me,  her  features 
flushed  and  her  eyes  eager. 

"  How  do  you  think  you  know  this?  " 

"  I  don't  think.  I  know.  The  scheme  was  laid 
here  in  Belgrade,  and  the  men  who  carried  it  out 
were  hired  and  paid  by  the  Duke  Barinski.  I  can 
produce  the  men  who  will  identify  him." 

"  It  can't  be.     How  did  you  learn  it?  " 

"  Money;  and  the  aid  of  a  staunch  friend  of  yours." 

"A  friend  of  mine?" 

"  Karasch." 

"  Karasch  ?  Karasch."  She  repeated  the  name  in 
a  tone  of  reminiscence,  very  gentle  and  low,  and 
putting  her  hand  to  her  eyes  sat  back  as  if  in  dismay 
or  pleasure  at  the  associations  connected  with  it.  But 


THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE  24$ 

a  moment  afterwards  the  emotion,  whether  pleasure 
or  pain,  passed,  and  her  face,  as  she  took  her  hand 
from  it  and  sat  up  again,  was  colder  and  sterner  than 
I  had  ever  seen  it. 

"And  you  connect  the  Baroness  with  this?" 

"  I  do,  and  can  prove  it."  Her  eyes  hardened  and 
her  lip  curled. 

"  I  congratulate  you  upon  your  manliness,  Mr. 
Bergwyn.  I  know  the  real  reason  for  your  presence 
in  Belgrade ;  the  Baroness  told  me  that :  your  old  and 
intimate  friend  whom  you  are  now  maligning  in  this 
chivalrous  way." 

And  then  I  knew  that  Elma  had,  indeed,  been  talk- 
ing about  that  old  time;  and  I  understood  many 
things;  amongst  them  the  mess  of  mischief  she  had 
brewed  for  me. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A    DECLARATION    OF    WAR. 

The  position  was  so  full  of  ludicrous  absurdity  ow- 
ing to  the  monstrous  distortion  of  my  motives,  and 
yet  so  embarrassing  in  my  inability  to  explain  things 
without  going  into  the  whole  matter  of  my  past  re- 
lations with  Elma,  that  I  did  not  know  whether  to 
laugh  at  the  absurdity  or  be  angry  at  the  injustice. 
I  was  angry  and  yet  I  wanted  to  laugh;  but  that  did 
not  help  me  to  find  a  reply  to  Gatrina's  scornfully  de- 
livered indictment. 

My  silence  and  apparent  confusion  made  the 
matter  worse.  Every  second  that  I  hesitated  seemed 
to  increase  her  indignation;  and  I  could  not  help 
perceiving  that  my  influence  was  running  down  so 
fast  that  it  would  soon  be  many  degrees  below  zero. 

My  first  attempt  to  remedy  the  matter  was 
unfortunate. 

"  We  have  got  suddenly  on  to  very  delicate 
ground,  Princess,  but  I  can  only  say  that  I  did  not 
know  the  Baroness  was  in  Belgrade  when  I  resolved 
to  come  here." 

'  That  means  that  you  give  the  lie  to  a  woman 
behind  her  back,  Mr.  Bergwyn ;  and  that  woman  my 
friend  and  also  an  old  friend  of  yours."  Cold,  con- 
temptuous and  cutting  in  every  syllable,  her  words 
hurt  me  to  the  quick. 


A    DECLARATION   OF    WAR  247 

"  Pardon  me,  you  must  not  twist  my  words.  I  am 
telling  you  no  more  than  the  truth  and  no  less.  If 
the  Baroness  told  you " 

"  If?  "  she  broke  in,  indignantly.  "  Then  it  is  my 
word  you  question." 

"No;  that  again  has  never  entered  my  thoughts. 
The  shortest  plan  will  be  for  me  to  go  in  search  of 
the  Baroness  and  bring  her  here  that  this  may  be  ex- 
plained." 

"  There  is  no  need,  thank  you.  It  is  not  sufficiently 
important." 

"  Will  you  tell  me  what  she  said  ?  " 

"  No,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  I  am  not  a  talebearer,"  she 
answered  with  a  quick  shrug  of  the  shoulders. 

"  You  allow  other  people  to  carry  tales  to  you. 
But  that  perhaps  is  your  interpretation  of  consist- 
ency. Do  you  believe  what  I  told  you  ?  " 

"Shall  we  change  the  subject,  Mr.  Bergwyn?  I 
hope  your  impressions  of  Belgrade,  so  far  as  the 
scenery  is  concerned,  have  been  pleasant."  Her  as- 
sumption of  courtesy  was  excellent. 

"  Do  you  believe  what  I  told  you  that  I  came  here 
without  knowing  of  the  presence  of  the  Baroness  von 
Tulken?" 

"  The  views  from  the  higher  grounds  are  con- 
sidered to  be  among  the  finest  in  Europe.  Have  you 
seen  them?  " 

I  rose  from  my  seat.  "  I  will  fetch  the  Baroness," 
I  said,  bluntly. 

She  paused,  got  up,  and  looking  straight  at  me, 
said  icily: 

"  Can  you  not  find  some  other  opportunity  to  tell 
her  what  to  say?  " 


248  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

I  caught  my  breath  with  the  pain  of  this  and  bit 
my  lip  as  I  gripped  the  back  of  my  chair  tightly.  I 
think  she  must  have  seen  something  of  what  I  suf- 
fered in  that  moment.  Then  I  bowed. 

"  I  have  no  answer  to  that,  Princess.  I  shall  leave 
Belgrade  to-night  for  good.  Of  that  you  may  now 
rest  assured.  Shall  I  take  you  back  to  the  ball- 
room ?  " 

But  instead  of  placing  her  hand  on  the  arm  I 
offered,  she  sat  down  again  and  turned  her  face  away 
from  me.  I  stood  a  few  moments  in  some  hesitation 
and  then  said :  "  I  bid  you  farewell,  Princess ;"  and 
walked  away. 

"  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  she  called,  when  I  had  taken 
some  half  dozen  paces.  I  stopped  and  turned.  "  I 
wish  to  speak  to  you."  She  spoke  without  looking 
at  me.  I  retraced  my  steps  and  stood  by  my  former 
seat.  Some  moments  of  tense  silence  followed. 

I  broke  the  silence.  "  This  has  become  very  em- 
barrassing to  me,  Princess ;  but  I  have  decided  upon 
my  course.  There  are  some  things  I  have  to  tell  you, 
but  with  your  permission  I  will  write  them  and  send 
them  by  Karasch  whom  you  can  question  as  to  the 
truth  of  that  part  of  them  which  he  knows.  I  rec- 
ognise now  the  mistake  I  made  in  coming  to  the 
capital,  and  I  will  remedy  it  at  once.  I  can  easily 
find  a  pretext  for  my  sudden  departure." 

"  No.  You  must  not  go.  Please,  sit  down.  Don't 
you  understand  that  we  are  probably  being  watched, 
although  not  overheard." 

I  resumed  my  seat  then ;  and  again  we  were  silent. 

'  You  are  angry  at  what  I  said  ?  "  she  asked  at 
length. 


A   DECLARATION   OF    WAR  249 

"  No.  It  was  much  too  terrible  to  cause  mere 
anger." 

"  I  did  not  wish  to  give  you  pain."  Her  face  was 
still  averted  from  me,  and  when  I  did  not  reply,  she 
turned  and  looked  swiftly  at  me.  "  I  was  angry  but 
I — I  did  not  mean  it,  Mr.  Bergwyn." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  that.  Shall  we  leave  it 
there?" 

"  You  wish  to  humble  me  and  force  me  to  say  that 
I  am  ashamed  of  the  words?  " 

"  God  forbid  I  should  have  such  a  thought.  But 
you  appear  so  incapable  of  doing  me  anything  but 
injustice." 

"  I  am  not ;  but  the  position  is  so  impossible." 

4<  Only  if  you  make  it  so." 

"  I  want  to  believe  in  you,  but — "  she  threw  up  her 
hands  and  sighed. 

"  If  you  would  do  so,  it  would  make  all  the  dif- 
ference." 

"  I  am  in  such  sore  trouble  that  you  cannot  under- 
stand." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  think  I  know  more  of  the 
trouble  than  you  yourself.  I  know  the  motive  of 
the  Queen  in  regard  to  your  marriage  with  Prince 
Albrevics." 

She  started  with  sudden  agitation.  "  You,  a 
stranger  to  Servia,  have  heard  that.  Tell  me." 

"  The  Prince  is  impossible  as  a  ruler  for  the  coun- 
try; not  a  hundred  men  in  the  country  would  bear 
with  him  on  the  throne;  and  in  that  case  your  own 
claim  would  be  sacrificed.  She  would  have  you 
make  the  marriage  for  that  reason — that  her  own 


250  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

plans  in  regard  to  her  brother's  succession  may  be 
helped." 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  they  have  told  me.  It  has 
come  like  a  terrible  and  sudden  blow.  How  did 
you  hear  it  ?  " 

"  Not  from  one  source  only,  but  several.  It  is  the 
common  knowledge  of  those  who  understand  these 
things." 

"  I  cannot  believe  it ;  I  cannot.  She  is  goodness 
itself  to  me,  and  has  always  been  my  friend.  To  me 
more  than  a  sister;  and  I  love  her  and  trust  her  as 
one.  I  cannot  believe  it !  "  Her  distress  and  pain 
as  she  spoke  were  intense.  "  They  tell  me  that  even 
now  she  and  the  King  are  prepared  with  the  pro- 
clamation in  favour  of  her  brother,  and  only  wait 
for  my  marriage  to  issue  it.  But  it  cannot  be  true." 

"  I  only  tell  you  what  I  am  assured  is  true." 

"  What  am  I  to  do  ?  Whom  can  I  trust  if  not 
the  best  friend  I  have  ever  had  ?  "  She  spoke  almost 
wildly  in  her  agitation. 

"  If  as  you  think  we  are  being  observed,  Princess, 
may  I  counsel  you  to  shew  less  feeling  and  excite- 
ment? Let  me  speak  while  you  collect  yourself.  You 
must  face  the  position  calmly,  for  there  is  yet  an- 
other danger  that  threatens  you.  There  is  a  scheme 
to  marry  you  to  the  Duke  Barinski " 

'  You  know  of  that,  too !  "  she  interposed.  "  How 
do  you  learn  all  these  secrets?  " 

"  Let  me  put  a  question  to  you."  I  said,  as  a 
thought  occurred  to  me.  "Who  told  you  of  the 
Queen's  intentions  in  regard  to  Prince  Albrevics?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  that." 


A   DECLARATION   OF    WAR  251 

"  Then  I  will  tell  you.  It  was  the  Baroness  von 
Tulken."  There  was  no  need  for  her  to  say  in  words 
that  my  guess  was  right.  Her  start  and  glance  did 
that. 

"  I  am  almost  afraid  of  you,"  she  said. 

"  I  don't  wish  that ;  but  I  would  rather  have  fear 
than  mistrust.  These  things  have  been  told  to  me 
plainly  by  those  who  seek  to  get  the  money  I  am  able 
to  control.  It  was  only  a  guess  that  the  Baroness 
had  told  you;  and  I  will  give  you  her  motive.  She 
desires  to  influence  you  to  marry  the  Duke  Barinski 
under  the  pretence  that  the  marriage  would  reconcile 
the  rival  interests  of  the  two  contending  families,  and, 
having  Russia  behind  it,  would  render  the  throne 
secure." 

Her  surprise  at  my  knowledge  of  these  things 
was  so  great  that  it  appeared  to  dwarf  the  significance 
of  the  news  itself. 

"  It  is  wonderful,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  The  wonder  is  rather  that  while  so  many  people 
know  of  all  this,  you  yourself  have  remained  ignorant 
of  it  so  long.  Can  you  bear  that  I  tell  you  still 
more?  " 

"  Is  there  more  to  tell?  I  am  already  filled  with 
amazement." 

"  Do  you  know  the  intentions  of  the  army  leaders  ? 
I  mean  so  far  as  they  affect  you  ?  " 

"Affect  me,  Mr.  Bergwyn  ?  They  cannot  affect  me." 

"  Your  eyes  and  ears  have  been  dulled  by  the  con- 
ditions and  restrictions  of  the  Court  life.  What  I  tell 
you  is  now  for  your  hearing  alone.  The  army  will 
declare  against  the  family  of  which  you  are  a  mem- 


252  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

ber,  and  will  change  the  succession  to  the  Throne. 
When  that  moment  comes  it  will  be  fraught  with 
peril  to  you  in  common  with  all  the  Obrenovics." 

"  No,  no,  the  army  is  loyal.  I  have  heard  whispers 
of  some  such  treachery;  but  there  is  no  ground  for 
them." 

"  That  I  know  is  the  Court  view — mine  is  the  true 
one."  I  spoke  as  deliberately  and  impressively  as  I 
could. 

"  This  very  question  has  been  discussed  at  the 
Palace  within  the  last  few  days,  a  warning  to  the 
same  effect  was  conveyed  to  the  King  and  Queen; 
but  they  have  made  wide  and  searching  inquiries; 
and  we  know  there  is  no  ground  whatever  to  doubt 
the  army's  loyalty.  You  have  been  misinformed." 

"  If  there  were  any  reason  to  doubt  it,  I  should  not 
speak  positively,  Princess;  but  there  is  none." 

"  Why  do  you  wish  to  frighten  me  ?  " 

"  I  wish  only  that  you  shall  know  the  truth." 

"  But  if  all  you  say  were  true,  do  you  realise  what 
my  position  would  be  and  what  my  duty  would  be  ?  " 

"  It  is  because  I  realise  the  peril  that  encircles  you 
that  I  speak  so  plainly.  All  the  parties  concerned — 
the  Court,  the  army  and  the  Russian — are  struggling 
for  their  own  objects ;  and  however  that  struggle  may 
end,  you  stand  to  lose  all.  If  the  Court  wins,  you  will 
be  set  aside ;  if  the  Russian,  you  might  gain  the  throne 
for  a  while,  but  the  country  would  be  convulsed  by 
a  revolution;  if  the  army  win,  then  as  a  possible 
Obrenovic  claimant  to  the  Throne,  you  would  be 
an  obstacle  in  their  path  and  can  judge  what  your 
position  might  then  be." 


"A   DECLARATION   OF    W AR  253 

She  sat  thinking  intently.  "  If  you  are  right,  then 
there  is  no  one  about  me  whom  I  can  trust,"  she 
said,  slowly.  "  Everything  is  a  sham  and  everyone 
I  have  believed  in  false.  Do  you  wish  me  to  think 
this?" 

"I  do  not  know  all  those  whom  you  trust;  but 
that  you  need  some  one  to  advise  you  in  such  a  crisis 
is  but  too  clear.' 

"  You  think  I  am  helpless  because  I  am  a  girl,  I 
suppose? " 

"  Don't  let  us  slur  this  thing  with  personal  con- 
sideration. It  is  far  too  grave,  Princess.  Of  the 
Queen's  intentions  I  can  give  you  no  proofs;  but  of 
the  other  dangers,  I  believe  I  can.  Will  you  let  me 
try?  Can  you  bring  yourself  to  be  at  my  house  to- 
morrow at  midday?  " 

She  looked  at  me  in  blank  astonishment  at  the  sug- 
gestion. 

"  You  can  bring  with  you  anyone  who  is  in  your 
confidence.  It  is  open  to  you  as  one  in  the  Queen's 
confidence  to  leave  a  card  upon  me.  That  will  serve 
as  an  excuse,  if  you  do  not  consider  the  issues  too 
grave  to  be  subject  to  any  mere  conventions.  I  do." 

"If  it  were  anyone  else  who  proposed  such  a 
thing- 

"  But  it  is  not,"  I  interposed ;  "  so  don't  refuse  at 
once.  If  you  do  not  come  you  can  send  me  word." 

"  Of  course,  I  trust  you,"  she  said  with  the  old 
simple  directness,  to  my  intense  delight.  "  But  there 
are  so  many  reasons " 

She  paused.  "  I  know  that,"  I  replied.  "  But  be- 
lieve me  they  are  nothing  compared  with  those  which 


254  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

should  weigh  with  you.  I  shall  hope  to  get  you 
proofs  of  the  army's  intentions." 

"How?" 

"  You  must  leave  that  to  my  contriving."  At  that 
moment  I  became  aware  that  some  one  was  coming 
quickly  toward  us  through  the  conservatory  between 
us  and  the  ballroom.  "  Some  one  is  coming.  Take 
no  notice,"  I  whispered  rapidly,  and  then  in  a  loud 
tone :  "  I  shall  carefully  consider  all  you  have  said, 
Princess,  and  thank  you  for  your  patience  with  me." 

"  This  is  the  rare  palm,  Prince.  Oh,  some  one  is 
here."  It  was  Elma's  voice,  and  she  added  with 
gentle  spite:  "Why,  it  is  Gatrina  and  Mr.  Bergwyn. 
I  thought  you  had  gone  an  hour  ago.  I  am  so  sorry 
to  intrude.  Come,  Prince,  let  us  go  back.  We  are 
in  the  way." 

"  Not  in  the  least,  Baroness,"  I  answered.  I  had 
risen  and  saw  that  her  companion  was  Prince  Albre- 
vics,  and  further  that  he  was  partially  intoxicated. 

"  I  have  been  looking  for  you  everywhere, 
Gatrina,"  he  said  in  a  surly  tone,  his  voice  a  little 
thick  and  unsteady  with  liquor. 

"  I  have  been  here  by  the  Queen's  desire,"  she  re- 
plied. 

"  Then  you've  been  long  enough,  and  can  come 
away  by  mine." 

He  had  been  a  handsome  man  in  his  day,  and  his 
figure  still  retained  something  of  soldierly  strength 
and  uprightness.  But  the  features  had  the  heavy, 
sodden  look  of  dissipation. 

"  We  have  finished  our  conference,  I  think,  Mr. 
Bergwyn  ?  " 


A   DECLARATION   OF    WAR  255 

"  How  very  fortunate  we  just  timed  our  coming 
not  to  disturb  them,  Prince,  wasn't  it  ?  "  said  Elma, 
with  a  sweet,  significant  smile. 

"Yes,  I  think  we  have  finished,  Princess;"  and 
with  a  bow  to  me  she  put  her  arm  on  his  and  went 
away. 

Elma  laughed  loudly  enough  for  all  to  hear;  and 
when  I  turned  to  her  she  met  my  look  with  a  glance 
of  studied  defiance. 

"  You  must  be  careful  of  him,  Mr.  Bergwyn.  He 
is  a  very  jealous  man,  passionately  devoted  to 
Gatrina  and — one  of  the  only  real  swordsmen  in 
Servia." 

"  Will  you  sit  down  a  moment.  I  have  something 
to  say." 

"  Shall  I  take  dear  Gatrina's  place?  Do  you  really 
think  I  am  worthy  to  fill  it?"  she  asked  in  spiteful 
banter. 

"  No,  I  don't,"  I  answered,  brutally.  I  couldn't 
help  it  in  my  vexation.  "  But  I  wish  to  speak  to 
you  alone." 

"Just  like  old  times,  isn't  it?"  She  laughed,  as 
she  settled  herself  comfortably  in  the  chair  and 
looked  smilingly  at  me,  as  though  we  were  about 
to  have  a  chat  on  the  terms  of  the  most  confidential 
friendship.  As  I  did  not  speak  at  once,  she  affected 
nervousness  and  said  with  a  pout :  "  You  look  dread- 
fully stern.  If  you  are  going  to  be  disagreeable,  I 
shall  not  stay.  I  want  you  to  be  like  your  old  self." 

"  I  am  going  to  say  something  that  should  please 
you." 

"At  last?    Oh,  that  will  be  delightful,"  she  ex- 


256  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

claimed,  rapturously ;  but  her  eyes  were  full  of  doubt, 
surprise  and  suspicion.  "  You  have  not  said  a  single 
nice  thing  to  me  since  you  came." 

"  But  before  I  say  it,  let  me  request  you  not  to 
make  any  incorrect  statement  as  to  the  reasons  for 
my  coming  to  Belgrade." 

"  Incorrect  ?  What  have  I  said  that  is  incorrect  ?  " 
she  cried  with  innocent  surprise. 

"  That  I  came,  not  on  business,  but  to  see  you." 

"  I  only  told  Gatrina,"  she  said,  laughing  coquet- 
tishly,  as  though  she  had  the  right  to  tell  the  world 
if  she  pleased;  and  then  added  with  significant  in- 
sinuation :  "  You  must  have  got  very  intimate  with 
her  if  she  told  you  my  secrets.  I'm  afraid  I  shall 
really  have  to  warn  the  Queen  that  you  are  a  danger- 
ous man  for  her  advocate  to  be  on  such  confidential 
terms  with."- 

"  I  am  not  discussing  that.  I  am  merely  asking 
you  not  to  repeat  that  statement  to  anyone." 

"But  isn't  it  true?" 

"  No.    And  you  know  it  is  not,"  I  replied  bluntly. 

"  Then  I  am  lost  in  amazement.  You  certainly  did 
not  come  on  the  business  of  the  loan ;  you  are  much 
to  shrewd  for  that.  And  if  you  didn't  come  to  see 
me,  whom  did  you  come  to  see?  "  A  most  excellent 
assumption  of  surprise  veiled  this  thrust. 

"  I  came  as  an  American  financier,  Baroness,  look- 
ing after  my  own  interests." 

But  she  laughed  and  shook  her  finger  at  me.  "  Fie, 
Mr.  Bergwyn,  fie.  I  did  not  look  to  you,  the  apostle 
of  stolid  truth,  for  such  a  statement."  Then  with  a 
change  to  reflective  seriousness.  "  If  it  was  not  '.or 


4   DECLARATION   OF    WAR  257 

*ne,  then  }t  must  have  been  for  Gatrina.  That's 
why  I  tola  her  what  I  did  and  gave  her  a  peep,  just 
a  little  peep,  into  the  past.  But  I  have  not  shewn 
her  your  letters — yet.  Not  one  of  them;  not  even 
the  least  impressive  of  them.  I  could  not  do  that; 
they  are  all  sacred  in  my  eyes.  My  most  precious  pos- 
sessions." 

"  What  is  your  object  in  all  this — this  burlesque?  " 

"  Reduced  to  plain  direct  questions  are  you  now?  " 
But  don't  you  think  you  could  answer  that  yourself? 
I'll  give  you  one  answer.  I  want  you  on  my  side  and 
I  don't  intend,  if  I  can  help  it,  to  let  the  Queen's  advo- 
cate win  you  over  for  the  Queen.  No,  I  don't; 
although  she  has  the  advantage  of  having  been  res- 
cued by  you.  You  needn't  try  and  look  as  if  that 
were  not  true;  because  it  is,  and  I  know  that  it  is. 
And  if  you  think  a  moment  you  will  see  what  a 
service  I  am  rendering  her  in  letting  people  think 
you  came  here  for  my  sake.  Think  of  the  scandal  it 
would  cause  if  it  were  known  that  you,  the  American 
man  of  millions,  had  rescued  her  and  then  followed 
her  to  Belgrade.  It  would  ruin  her — and  people  are 
very  particular  about  reputations  in  this  Court.  The 
Queen  is  obliged  to  be  on  account  of  her  own  past." 

"  Perhaps  you  know  how  the  Princess  came  to  be 
in  need  of  a  rescuer?  " 

She  laughed  again  lightly.  I  was  growing  to  hate 
her  laughter. 

"  Of  course  I  do,  seeing  that  Duke  Barinski  and  I 
planned  it  all.  The  marriage  with  him  would  have 
taken  place  in  Maglai,  if  she  had  not,  most  unfortu- 
nately for  us,  escaped." 


258  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  You  are  very  frank." 

"  Why  not.  You  have  probably  told  her  already 
that  that  brigand  story  was  a  fable  and  that  we  were 
at  the  bottom  of  it  all.  You  shewed  me  you  knew 
it  all,  this  evening;  and  I  don't  think  so  poorly  of 
you  as  to  dream  you  had  not  got  proofs  which  satis- 
fied you.  I  know  what  money  can  do  in  Belgrade." 

"  Russian  money,  you  mean." 

"  Yes.  Russian  money,  or  any  other,"  she  re- 
turned, parrying  my  thrust  with  the  lightest  air  of 
indifference. 

"  It  has  not  bought  the  support  of  the  army  for 
this  Russian  scheme  of  yours." 

"  Ah,  I  heard  that  Colonel  Petrosch's  jackal,  Cap- 
tain Nikolitch,  had  been  closeted  with  you." 

"  You  take  a  deep  concern  in  my  movements." 

"  I  feel  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  affects  you.  But 
you  know  that.  Besides,  it  is  my  business  to  learn 
things.  We  have  many  agents,  and  Belgrade  is  only 
a  small  place." 

"  Agents  ?  "  I  said  hastily. 

"  Agents  or  spies.  I  will  call  them  spies,  if  you 
prefer.  The  point  is  that  we  have  them — everywhere. 
I  am  one  if  you  like.  They  form  one  of  the  main  in- 
stitutions of  government  in  the  Balkans.  And  in  the 
Servian  army  they  abound  in  all  ranks  and  all  regi- 
ments." 

"Whatever  I  have  thought  of  you  I  have  never 
pictured  you  as  a  Russian  spy." 

She  bit  her  lip  and  clenched  her  hands  and  her 
cheek  flushed. 

"  It  is  very  easy  for  a  millionaire  to  sneer,"  she  re- 


A   DECLARATION   OF    WAR  259 

torted,  speaking  deliberately;  then  with  rising  pas- 
sion, she  continued :  "  What  would  you  have  had 
me  do?  God  knows  I  had  little  enough  choice.  I 
was  an  adventuress,  living  on  my  wits ;  a  cheat  if  you 
will  to  keep  my  mother  and  myself  from  the  gutter. 
Then  I  was  detected;  and  wherever  I  looked,  the 
finger  of  contempt  met  me.  What  chance  had  I  ?  I 
took  the  only  thing  that  offered — a  husband;  my 
looks,  as  I  thought,  gave  me  that ;  and  I  found  him — 
what?  A  Russian  spy.  But  it  was  not  my  looks 
he  sought  but  my  brains,  my  courage,  my  reckless- 
ness. I  could  do  the  work,  and  do  it  well;  and 
when  he  died  I  was  in  too  deeply  to  withdraw." 

She  paused  and  her  bosom  laboured  with   her 
vehemence. 

"  No,  I  won't  pretend — to  you.  I  could  have  with- 
drawn, of  course,  had  I  wished.  But  I  did  not,  for 
it  gave  me  not  only  all  that  a  woman  is  supposed  to 
care  for,  dress,  money,  and  influence;  but  also  what 
a  woman  is  not  supposed  to  crave — power.  I  was 
feared ;  and  it  is  by  fear  I  stand  where  I  do.  I  could 
have  married  again,  not  once  but  a  dozen  times;  I 
have  been  wooed  until  men  cried  that  I  was  ice.  And 
to  them  I  was.  What  were  men  or  marriage  to  me? 
I  had  tried  marriage ;  and  as  for  my  heart,  it  lay  in  my 
breast  like  a  dead  thing — for  the  sake  of  the  past." 

She  looked  searchingly  at  me  as  I  made  no  reply. 

"  I  am  not  acting  now.  I  was  when  I  first  came 
to  you  yesterday ;  hoping  or  fearing  I  know  not  which 
or  what.  I  have  had  to  learn  to  act  to  play  any  part 
at  will.  To  fawn,  to  coquet,  to  jest,  to  lure,  to  lie, 
to  appear  false  when  I  was  true,  and  true  when  I  was 


260  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

false.  A  spy  must  learn  these  things — they  are  the 
tricks  of  the  life.  But  I  will  not  lie  to  you.  That  I 
promise  you.  I  have  told  you  all  plainly  that  you 
may  know  me  for  what  I  am." 

I  had  risen  in  the  hope  of  stopping  her.  "  I  beg 
you  to  say  no  more,"  I  said. 

"  I  have  not  quite  finished.  Please  sit  again.  I 
have  to  speak  of  you  and  Gatrina — the  Queen's  advo- 
cate." 

"  I  would  rather  you  say  nothing." 

"  I  have  a  purpose  in  telling  you  the  truth.  You 
have  to  take  a  side  either  with  or  against  me.  If 
you  are  against  me,  I  will  fight  you  fairly — but  I  will 
use  every  weapon  I  have.  I  know  that  you  came 
here  to  follow  Gatrina;  I  know  that  you  saved  her; 
my  instinct  tells  me  why  you  followed  her — and  I 
tell  you  bluntly,  she  can  be  nothing  to  you." 

"  I  neither  accept  nor  deny  any  conclusions  you 
draw,"  I  said,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  need  no  confirmation  from  you.  I  have  ques- 
tioned Gatrina.  I  knew  how  it  was  with  her  before 
you  came;  and  when  I  left  your  house  yesterday, 
your  dog  gave  me  the  clue  to  everything.  We  have 
agents  even  in  Samac  and  Poabja,  Mr.  Bergwyn ;  and 
when  your  man  Karasch  was  traced  to  your  house — 
after  a  week  spent  in  inquiries  here  in  Belgrade — the 
rest  was  easy.  The  telegraph  runs  to  Samac;  and 
Poabja  is  but  a  short  hour's  ride  from  there." 

"  Why  are  you  so  bitter  against  the  Princess?  " 

"  I  am  not  bitter  against  her — unless  you  force  me. 
She  must  act  in  the  Russian  interest — that  means 
she  must  marrv  Duke  Barinski.  But  I  have  other 


A    DECLARATION   OF    WAR  261 

motives,  private  and  personal,  far  stronger  than 
those  of  policy,  that  make  me  tell  you  you  must  not 
and  shall  not  think  of  'her." 

"  And  what  do  you  seek  from  me?  " 

"  You  may  join  with  us  in  effecting  that  marriage, 
or  you  may  not,  as  you  please.  But  what  you  must 
do  is  to  convince  Gatrina  beyond  question  that  your 
coming  here  has  no  connection  whatever  with  what 
passed  at  the  time  you  rescued  her.  I  have  prepared 
the  way  for  that." 

"  You  are  very  thoughtful,  no  doubt,  but  I  don't 
understand  you." 

"  I  have  told  her  that  once  we  were  betrothed  and 
that  you  have  come  here  in  search  of  me.  You  can 
confirm  that." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  By  renewing  the  old  relations — for  the  time — • 
and  making  the  matter  public." 

"  You  want  me  to  act  that  lie  in  order  to  deceive 
her?" 

"  To  convince  her  of  the  necessity  of  marrying  the 
Duke  Barinski." 

I  had  to  clench  my  teeth  to  keep  my  indignation 
under. 

"  I  will  not  do  it,"  I  said,  clipping  the  words  short. 

"  Then  we  are  to  fight,  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  she  said, 
as  she  rose.  "  I  shall  find  other  means  and  take 
further  steps.  I  shall  poison  her  against  you,  if  I 
have  to  shew  her  your  letters  in  proof  of  what  I  told 
her.  Will  you  give  me  your  arm?  I  am  sorry  you 
make  me  your  enemy  and  hers — it  may  mean  danger 
for  her." 


262  THE    QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

"  We  will  see,"  I  replied ;  and  having  led  her  back 
to  the  ballroom  I  got  away  from  the  Palace  as  soon 
as  I  could,  to  think  over  the  latest  and  most  strange 
development  of  the  situation. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

PRINCE    ALBREVICS. 

When  I  came  to  think  over  that  promise  to 
Gatrina,  to  furnish  proofs  of  the  army's  intentions, 
I  felt  I  had  sawn  off  a  log  which  I  might  find  too 
big  to  haul.  And  the  thought  made  me  considerably 
uneasy. 

I  had  given  the  pledge  in  a  moment  of  excitement ; 
and  now  that  I  was  cool,  the  difficulty  of  keeping 
it  looked  very  formidable  indeed. 

It  troubled  me  a  good  deal  more  than  the  frank 
declaration  of  war  from  Elma — although  that  prom- 
ised quite  sufficient  embarrassments  of  its  own.  That 
she  would  keep  her  word  I  had  no  doubt;  and  I 
might  gamble  on  it  that  she  would  do  her  worst. 

Yet  in  one  respect  it  cleared  my  course.  There 
was  no  longer  any  sort  of  use  in  finessing  with  the 
Russian  party.  Elma  knew  too  much  for  me  to 
think  of  being  able  to  deceive  her;  while  her  pre- 
posterous condition  that  there  should  be  a  sham 
renewal  of  our  old  engagement  was  too  repugnant 
and  preposterous  to  be  entertained  for  an  instant. 

Neither  was  there  any  thought  of  coquetting  with 
the  Court.  That  involved  apparent  acquiescence  in 
the  scheme  for  Gatrina's  marriage;  the  very  thing 
I  was  firmly  bent  upon  stopping  at  any  cost. 

I  was  thus  confirmed  in  my  decision  of  the  previous 


264  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

day  to  secure  the  influence  of  the  army,  and  to  trust 
to  that  to  carry  me  through.  But  it  was  just  in  that 
respect  I  had  increased  my  difficulties  by  the  pledge 
to  Gatrina.  I  could  only  keep  it  by  getting  Colonel 
Petrosch  to  back  up  my  statement  to  her;  and  here 
was  the  trouble. 

I  recalled  Nikolitch's  advice  to  speak  plainly  to  the 
Colonel  about  Gatrina;  but  it  was  the  one  subject  of 
all  others  which  I  was  altogether  disinclined  to  dis- 
cuss with  him. 

And  the  disinclination  was  strengthened  when  he 
and  Nikolitch  arrived;  for  he  looked  about  the  last 
individual  in  the  world  whom  I  would  have  chosen 
for  a  confidence  of  the  kind. 

His  appearance  impressed  me  mainly  with  a  sense 
of  cold,  inflexible,  unsympathetic  strength  and  capa- 
city. He  was  a  hatchet-headed  man  in  the  fifties,  with 
a  long,  narrow,  keen,  undemonstrative  face;  one  of 
those  straight,  thin-lipped  mouths  which  seem  in- 
tended for  the  close  guardianship  of  secrets;  and  an 
abnormally  long  heavy  chin  which  suggested  resolute 
purpose,  dogged  persistence  and  perhaps  cruelty; 
while  his  piercing,  hard,  close-set  eyes  tended  to  con- 
firm this  suggestion  of  cruelty.  Altogether  he  was 
capable  of  being  an  ugly  enemy. 

He  was  sparing  of  words  in  the  interview;  and 
whatever  he  had  guessed  as  to  the  real  motives  of 
my  presence  in  Belgrade  he  was  careful  to  let  no 
hint  of  it  appear;  and  he  went  straight  to  the  pith 
of  our  meeting. 

He  expressed  great  pleasures  in  seeing  me,  gave 
Nikolitch  a  word  of  praise  for  his  share  in  having 


PRINCE   ALBREVICS  265 

brought  the  meeting  about,  said  he  understood  I 
wished  to  secure  the  influence  of  the  army  in  certain 
eventualities,  and  then  asked  me  point-blank  whether 
I  meant  to  help  the  existing  Government  financially. 

I  answered  guardedly  that  I  was  not  as  yet  satisfied 
of  the  present  stability  of  things,  but  that  when  there 
was  a  really  stable  Government  I  should  be  prepared 
to  guarantee  a  loan. 

"  Would  you  regard  as  sufficiently  stable  a  new 
Government  having  the  united  army  at  its  back?  " 

'  Yes,  if  founded  without  violence  and  command- 
ing the  support  of  the  country." 

He  thought  this  over  a  moment.  "  It  is  all  we  can 
ask,"  he  said.  "  Will  you  put  that  in  writing,  Mr. 
Bergwyn  ?  " 

I  assented,  and  he  immediately  placed  materials 
before  me  and  waited  in  silence  while  I  wrote  out  an 
undertaking  on  the  lines  I  had  indicated.  This  I  read 
aloud  to  him,  and  he  marked  every  word,  suggesting 
one  or  two  trifling  alterations.  I  made  these  and  then 
held  the  paper  ready  to  hand  to  him.  I  did  this  to 
convince  him  I  was  earnest;  and  then  I  opened  up 
the  other  matter. 

"If  I  give  you  this  it  amounts  to  a  pledge  that 
I  take  the  side  of  the  army,  Colonel  Petrosch.  What 
am  I  to  receive  in  exchange  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  think  I  understand  you." 

"  You  are  gaining  much  by  this  agreement — the 
assurance  that  the  financial  help  required  by  the 
Government  will  not  be  found  by  me.  To  be  candid 
I  want  something  in  return." 

"  Whatever  the  committee  of  officers  can  in  fair- 


266  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

ness  pledge  the  new  Government  to  do,  they  will — 
but  you  will  be  able  to  make  your  terms  then." 

"  I  want  the  assistance  of  your  party  now." 

"In  what  way?" 

"  My  friend  Nikolitch  has  told  you  I  am  especially 
concerned  for  the  safety  of  the  Princess  Gatrina." 

"  Yes."  Not  the  ghost  of  a  feeling  even  of  interest 
did  he  shew. 

"  I  wish  to  be  assured  of  her  safety." 

"  There  can  be  no  difficulty  in  giving  such  an  as- 
surance," he  answered  after  a  moment's  thought. 
"  So  far  as  I  am  personally  concerned  I  would  do  my 
utmost.  But  you  have  some  further  question  to  put, 
I  see." 

"  She  is,  I  think,  coming  here  to-day.  I  wish  her 
to  be  convinced  of  the  feeling  of  the  army,  and  that 
the  officers  are  unanimously  resolved  upon  their 
course  of  action." 

There  was  a  pause,  and  I  saw  Nikolitch  glance  at 
me  in  astonishment  and  from  me  to  the  Colonel. 

"  This  is  a  very  grave  request,  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  said 
Petrosch  slowly.  "  Do  you  realise  that  you  are  ask- 
ing me,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  army,  to  reveal  our 
intentions  to  one  of  the  Queen's  closest  friends?" 

"  You  are  gaining  much  from  this — "  and  I  held 
up  the  paper — "  I  am  gaining  nothing." 

"  I  fear  I  cannot  do  it,  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  he  said,  re- 
luctantly. "  I  might  be  very  gravely  compromised, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  risk  to  be  run." 

"What  risk?" 

"  That  the  news  would  be  carried  straight  to  the, 
Queen." 


PRINCE   ALBREVICS  267 

"  It  has  been  carried  already,"  I  said. 

"  How  do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  was  at  the  Palace  last  night  and  I  heard  from 
one  who  has  ample  means  of  knowledge,  that  the 
plans  of  the  army  had  been  divulged  to  the  Court, 
and  that  diligent  inquiries  had  been  made  in  con- 
sequence. That  risk  is  therefore  nothing.' 

"  Do  you  mean  there  are  traitors  amongst  us?  " 

"  I  deem  it  extremely  probable,"  I  said,  drily. 

"  I  cannot  think  where  ? "  he  declared  after  a 
pause. 

"  Is  it  the  practice  of  traitors  to  advertise  them- 
selves? " 

"  This  is  very  grave  news — very  grave,  indeed." 

"  Not  perhaps  so  grave  as  you  think — for  the  re- 
sult of  the  inquiries  made  was  to  satisfy  the  Court  of 
the  loyalty  of  the  army  as  a  whole." 

"  Are  you  sure  ?  " 

"  I  don't  talk  just  for  talk's  sake,  Colonel." 

"  But  it  would  be  very  different  if  I  myself  were 
to  see  the  Princess.  No,  I  fear  I  cannot  do  that." 

"  Very  well.  Then  I'll  tear  up  this  paper  and  we'll 
call  the  matter  off." 

"  You  are  asking  too  much  of  me,  Mr.  Bergwyn. 
I  must  have  time  to  consult  others." 

"  I  never  change  my  terms,  Colonel  Petrosch. 
You  decide  yes  or  no,  right  now,  or  I  must  seek  other 
means." 

He  leant  back  in  dire  perplexity. 

"  You  would  disclose  no  plans,  merely  give  proofs 
that  the  feeling  of  the  army  is  solid;  and  what  you 
said  would  be  received  under  a  pledge  of  confidence." 


268  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"What  is  your  object?" 

"  My  sole  purpose  in  coming  to  Belgrade  is  to 
secure  her  safety,  Colonel;  and  you  can  therefore 
judge  how  far  I  am  prepared  to  go." 

"  The  Princess  is  one  of  our  grave  embarrass- 
ments, Mr.  Bergwyn.  If  anything  I  could  say  would 
enable  you  to  influence  her  to  leave  Belgrade  for  a 
time,  it  would  be  different." 

"  I  have  little  influence,  I  fear." 

He  threw  up  his  hands  and  shook  his  head,  and 
was  silent. 

During  the  pause  Buller  brought  me  a  card.  It 
was  Gatrina's.  She  had  come  after  all. 

"  The  Princess  is  here,  Colonel,  and  with  your 
leave  I  will  go  to  her.  I'll  send  my  man  in  ten  min- 
utes, and  you  can  say  just  yes  or  no." 

"  You  will  secure  the  pledge  of  secrecy  ?  " 

"  Otherwise  I  will  not  ask  you  to  say  a  word." 

It  looked  as  if  I  were  going  to  win,  after  all,  and 
I  felt  in  a  confident  mood  as  I  hurried  to  Gatrina, 
giving  Buller  his  instructions  on  the  way. 

An  elderly  woman  was  with  her,  at  whom  I  glanced 
with  little  interest  as  the  name,  the  Countess  Vashti, 
was  mentioned. 

Gatrina  met  me  with  a  stiff  ceremonious  bow ;  and 
her  voice  was  cold  and  hard.  But  her  eyes  were  full 
of  trouble. 

"  We  come  by  the  Queen's  desire,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  to 
bid  you  a  formal  welcome  to  Belgrade  on  her  and 
His  Majesty's  behalf,"  she  said,  formally  and  dis- 
tantly. 

I    expressed   my   gratification    in    equally    formal 


PRINCE   ALBREVICS  269 

terms;  and  we  sat  talking  generalities,  about  the 
Capital,  the  ball  of  the  previous  night,  and  so  on; 
just  commonplace  surface  chatter,  until  Buller  en- 
tered and  gave  me  a  slip  of  paper  with  the  one  word 
"  Yes  "  written  upon  it.  I  had' won ;  and  after  a  little 
more  make-weight  twaddle  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Countess  Vashti,  I  got  to  the  pith  of  things. 

"  There  are  some  points  arising  out  of  our  conver- 
station  at  the  Palace,  last  night,  Princess,  which  have 
occurred  to  me,  and  I  should  be  glad  of  an  oppor- 
tunity of  discussing  them  with  you  privately." 

"  Her  Majesty's  object  in  desiring  me  to  see  you 
to-day,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  was  that  I  should  speak  with 
you  privately  if  you  desired  it."  As  she  said  this  she 
glanced  at  the  companion,  who  bowed  acquiescence. 

I  rose  at  once  and  giving  the  old  lady  a  bundle  of 
papers  I  led  Gatrina  to  another  room. 

"  I  told  you  last  night  that  I  would  endeavour  to 
give  you  proofs  of  what  I  said.  As  to  the  aim  of  the 
Russian  party  there  is  no  need  for  proof;  the  Baron- 
ess herself  last  night  admitted  to  me  that  she  had 
instigated  your  abduction;  that  you  were  to  have 
been  taken  to  Maglai ;  and  that  when  there  your  mar- 
riage with  Duke  Barinski  was  to  be  forced  upon 
you." 

"  She  has  said  almost  as  much  to  me  to-day — 
among  other  things,"  was  her  reply,  very  coldly 
spoken.  I  could  guess  at  the  "  other  things,"  but 
there  was  no  time  then  to  enter  upon  any  defence. 

"  As  to  the  power  and  feeling  of  the  army  I  can 
prove  my  words.  Colonel  Petrosch  is  here  and  he 
will  himself  convince  you.  Will  you  come  to  him?" 


2;o  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  It  seems  incredible.  How  have  you  prevailed 
upon  him  to  speak  of  this  to  me?  " 

"  Does  that  matter,  so  long  as  he  does  speak?  " 

"  I  shall  be  at  liberty  to  report  what  he  may  say?  " 

"  No,  certainly  not.  It  is  for  your  ears  only.  You 
asked  for  the  proofs  of  what  I  said.  I  offer  it  to  you ; 
but  it  must,  of  course,  be  under  a  pledge  of  secrecy." 

She  hesitated  in  anxious  perplexity.  "  I  will  see 
him.  I  can  at  any  rate  act  upon  any  knowledge  so 
gained." 

"  It  is  for  that  object  I  wish  you  to  be  convinced." 

We  went  then  to  the  room  where  I  had  left  the 
Colonel  and  Nikolitch,  and  both  men  rose  and  bowed 
to  Gatrina  as  we  entered,  the  Colonel  stiffly,  Niko- 
litch with  unmistakable  interest. 

Time  is  pressing  and  the  interview  need  not  take 
long,"  I  said.  "  What  I  wish  is  that  you  will  con- 
vince the  Princess  Gatrina  as  you  have  convinced 
me,  Colonel  Petrosch,  of  the  intentions  of  the  officers 
for  whom  you  speak  so  far  as  they  affect  her." 

Gatrina  sat  down  and  looked  at  him  very  closely. 

The  Colonel  on  his  side  was  not  without  embar- 
rassment as  to  how  to  begin.  At  length  he  said: 
"  The  Princess  will,  no  doubt,  be  aware  that  the 
family  of  which  she  is  a  member  has  incurred  the  ex- 
treme hostility  of  the  army.  And  what  I  said  to  you 
before,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  I  repeat  now — if  the  Princess 
consults  her  safety  and  interests  she  will  leave  the 
country  at  once." 

Gatrina's  lip  curled.  "  And  if  she  does  not  con- 
sult either  by  adopting  a  course  which  she  would 
consider  cowardly  and  consent  to  be  frightened  away, 
what  then?." 


PRINCE   ALBREVICS  271 

Antagonism  and  disbelief  inspired  the  reply: 
the  antagonism  founded  upon  the  Court  view  of  the 
army's  attitude;  the  disbelief  proceeding  from  her 
own  private  feelings.  Nikolitch  pulled  his  moustache 
and  glanced  at  her  with  a  mixture  of  admiration  and 
concern;  while  the  grim  old  Colonel  shrugged  his 
shoulders. 

"  I  should  apologise,  Princess.  I  am  not  your 
Highness's  adviser,  nor  had  I  any  right  to  assume 
such  a  position." 

"  Is  this  all  you  have  brought  me  to  hear,  Mr. 
Bergwyn  ?  "  she  asked,  with  scarcely  veiled  disdain. 

"  No.  I  wish  you  to  be  convinced  on  two  points — 
that  the  army  is  united  and  must  be  the  deciding 
force  in  the  present  crisis ;  and  that  it  is  against  your 
chance  of  succession  to  the  Throne.  Colonel  Pet- 
rosch  can  speak  with  authority  on  both — if  he  will." 

"  On  both  those  points  I  can  speak  absolutely," 
he  replied;  and  very  succinctly  and  clearly  he  made 
good  his  case  as  to  the  unanimity  of  the  great  ma- 
jority of  the  regiments.  That  he  succeeded  in  im- 
pressing her  deeply  was  plain. 

"  And  as  to  myself?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  much  regret  to  have  to  say  the  army  would 
not  consent  to  serve  under  your  Highness,  or  any 
member  of  your  family,"  he  answered,  decision  in 
every  syllable. 

The  gravity  of  the  words  appealed  to  us  all. 

Gatrina  paused.  "  Any  member  of  my  family, 
Colonel  Petrosch?"  she  repeated.  "That  would  in- 
clude His  Majesty  himself." 

"  Madam,  I  have  spoken  under  pressure;  but  my 


272  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

words  stand  and  are  not  to  be  recalled,"  he  declared. 
"  I  speak  not  alone  for  myself,  but  for  the  entire 
committee  of  officers." 

"  Your  words  are  full  of  dangerous  insinuations. 
What  do  you  mean  to  imply  ?  " 

"  I  can  add  little  to  what  I  have  said.  The  plans 
of  the  army  have  been  much  canvassed  in  the  Court 
and  elsewhere,  and  much  misunderstood.  But  they 
have  been  decided  upon;  although,  of  course,  that 
decision  is  secret." 

"  Why  do  you  tell  me  this?  "  she  asked  quickly. 

"  At  Mr.  Bergwyn's  desire." 

"And  why?" 

"Your  pardon;  that  is  a  question  to  be  put  to 
him." 

I  got  up  to  end  the  interview;  and  after  a  moment 
Gatrina  arose  also,  and  with  a  bow  to  the  two  men 
went  out  with  me.  We  returned  to  the  room  where 
we  had  been  alone. 

"  I  have  kept  my  word.  I  trust  you  are  con- 
vinced," I  said. 

"  I  am  bewildered.  I  don't  know  whether  to  take 
it  seriously  and  be  gravely-  alarmed,  or  to  scoff  at  the 
whole  thing." 

"  I  think  you  must  take  it  very  seriously." 

"  But  it  means  that  the  officers  are  all  but  in  open 
revolt  against  the  Throne,  Mr.  Bergwyn." 

'  You  know  the  many  reports  to  the  same  effect, 
all  quite  openly  canvassed." 

"  How  have  you  influenced  Colonel  Petrosch  to 
speak  in  this  way  to  me  ?  " 

"  It  must  be  enough  that  he  has  so  spoken.     The 


PRINCE   ALBREVICS  273 

question  does  not  touch  that  of  your  decision  as  to 
your  own  action." 

"  Do  you  counsel  me  to  run  away,  then  ? "  she 
cried,  indignantly  and  almost  contemptuously. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have  no  influence  with  you." 

"  No.    That  is  true — now." 

"  Why  do  you  emphasise  that  word  in  particular 
—now?" 

She  disregarded  the  question,  but  after  thinking 
earnestly  for  a  few  seconds,  her  brows  knitted  and 
her  face  intensely  serious,  she  said :  "  The  one 
serious  thing  is  the  statement  that  the  regiments  are 
now  unanimous.  Do  you  believe  that  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  the  shadow  of  a  doubt." 

"  Why  are  you  so  set  upon  frightening  me?  " 

"  You  asked  me  that  last  night.  I  told  you  I  have 
no  such  wish;  I  desire  only  that  you  shall  know  the 
truth." 

"  I  shall  not  leave  my  country,  Mr.  Bergwyn — 
even  if  all  this  be  true.  Nothing  shall  make  me  do 
that." 

"  I  feared  that  would  be  your  decision." 

"  You  hoped  I  should  be  a  coward  then !  Thank 
you." 

"  That  is  not  how  I  should  describe  my  thoughts ; 
but  phrases  are  not  of  much  consequence  where 
things  themselves  are  so  grave." 

"  If  what  this  Colonel  insinuates  be  true,  the  Queen 
herself  would  be  in  trouble  and  even  in  danger; 
would  you  have  me  desert  her?  Do  you  mean  you 
think  that  would  not  be  the  act  of  a  coward  ?  " 

"  If  your  remaining  to  marry  the  Prince  Albrevics 


274  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

would  help  her,  I  should  say  it  would  be  cowardly  to 
leave." 

She  flushed  with  anger.  "  You  do  Her  Majesty 
wrong  and  dishonour,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  in  saying  that. 
She  knows  now  that,  like  the  rest  of  us,  she  has 
been  mistaken  in  regard  to  the  Prince.  I  have 
spoken  freely  with  her  and  the  marriage  will  not 
take  place." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,"  I  replied  in  a  care- 
fully restrained  tone,  hiding  alike  my  surprise  and 
unbounded  delight  at  the  news.  But  she  had  not 
exhausted  her  anger  against  me. 

"  Like  so  many  men  you  seem  to  find  delight  in 
wronging  one  of  the  noblest  women  that  ever  lived — 
the  staunchest  friend  that  a  girl  could  have."  It 
was  an  easy  inference  that  the  Queen  had  talked 
her  over,  but  I  admired  Gatrina  all  the  more  for 
this  chivalrous  and  warm  defence. 

"  If  it  be  possible  I  should  like  you  to  believe  that 
I  find  no  pleasure  at  all  in  wronging  any  woman. 
But  I  do  not  take  the  same  view  of  the  Queen  as  you 
do." 

'  You  have  allowed  yourself  to  be  poisoned  against 
her.  I  know  by  whom,  and,  perhaps,  you  are  not  to 
blame."  A  reference  to  Elma  this  and  an  unmistak- 
able sneer. 

"  I  think  I  understand  your  reference,  and  there 
are  several  things  I  wish  to  make  plainer  to  you " 

"  I  beg  you  not  to  trouble,  Mr.  Bergwyn.  I  wish 
to  leave  now." 

'  You  will  let  me  explain  surely." 

"  There  is  no  room  for  any  explanations.    I  know 


PRINCE   ALBREVICS  275 

enough,  thank  you.     Let  me  go  to  the  Countess 
Vashti." 

"  You  are  very  unjust  and  very  hard.  Last  night 
after  I  had  seen  you  I  had  a  conversation  with 
the " 

"  I  am  quite  aware  of  that,"  she  broke  in,  smiling 
angrily. 

"  For  God's  sake  don't  misunderstand  me,"  I  cried, 
earnestly.  "  You  must  let  me  speak  of  it.  It 
means " 

Impressed  by  my  vehemence,  I  think,  she  was  go- 
ing to  listen  when  the  door  of  the  room  was  thrust 
open  with  some  violence,  and  Prince  Albrevics  en- 
tered, folowed  by  Elma  herself.  The  Prince  was 
furiously  angry;  his  face  more  crimson  than  usual 
even,  and  his  manner  truculent  and  threatening. 

"  So  it's  true  and  you  are  here,  Gatrina.  What  is 
the  meaning  of  it?  I  have  come  to  fetch  you  away." 

His  hectoring  tone  and  the  insolent  ignoring  of  me 
made  me  hot. 

"  The  Princess  Gatrina  is  here  by  Her  Majesty's 
desire,  sir,"  I  said,  as  calmly  as  I  could. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  say  to  you — yet,"  he  answered, 
first  giving  me  a  vicious  look  and  then  ostentatiously 
turning  his  back  upon  me. 

Elma  laughed,  audibly  enough  for  us  all  to  hear. 

"  I  have  no  need  of  your  escort,  Prince,"  said 
Gatrina.  "  The  Countess  Vashti  is  with  me." 

"  You  will  come  with  me,"  he  retorted,  curtly. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  shall  go  with  the  Countess. 
Will  you  take  me  to  her,  Mr.  Bergwyn?  " 


276  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Certainly."  I  went  toward  the  door.  I  observed 
that  she  had  not  taken  the  slightest  notice  of  Elma. 

"  I  have  the  right  to  escort  you,  Gatrina.  We 
don't  need  the  interference  of  any  foreigners." 

Gatrina  was  in  the  act  of  leaving  but  at  this  she 
stopped  and  turned  to  him. 

"  You  are  in  error,  Prince.  You  have  no  longer 
the  right  which  you  imply.  Her  Majesty  will  ex- 
plain to  you  the  reason.  Your  arm,  if  you  please, 
Mr.  Bergwyn."  And  taking  my  arm  she  swept  past 
him,  her  head  high  and  looking  every  inch  a 
Princess. 

He  changed  colour  at  her  words,  and  glared  at  me 
with  a  malignity  that  I  expected  to  find  utterance  in 
fierce  words.  But  he  held  them  back  and  just  did  the 
cursing  internally,  I  suppose. 

"  The  Princess's  carriage,"  I  said  to  Buller  as  we 
crossed  the  hall  to  the  room  where  the  Countess  was 
waiting. 

Just  as  she  came  out  and  we  stood  in  the  hall,  an 
unexpected  incident  occurred. 

Chris  appeared  from  somewhere  and,  recognising 
Gatrina,  rushed  to  her  with  signs  of  extravagant  de- 
light. 

She  left  my  arm  and  bending  over  him  patted  him 
and  made  much  of  him  in  her  old  way;  and  the 
dog  whimpered  and  frolicked  about  her,  fawning  on 
and  licking  her  as  if  he  had  been  a  young  pup.  In 
the  midst  of  it  Elma  and  Prince  Albrevics  came  out 
and  watched  them. 

"What's  the  meaning  of  that?"  growled  the 
Prince,  with  a  scowl. 


PRINCE   ALBREVICS  277 

"  One  might  almost  think  they  were  old  friends," 
answered  Elma,  in  her  sweetest  tone. 

Gatrina  paid  no  heed  to  either  remark,  although 
she  must,  have  heard  them  both ;  and  when  she  raised 
her  head  I  saw  in  her  brightly  shining  eyes  an  expres- 
sion I  had  not  seen  since  I  came  to  Belgrade. 

"  Down,  Chris,  down,"  I  cried,  for  the  dog  was 
loath  to  let  her  go. 

"  He  remembers  me,  Mr.  Bergwyn ;  I  should  not 
like  him  to  have  forgotten,"  said  Gatrina,  very  gently, 
but  meaningly.  It  was  her  way  of  answering  Elma's 
sneer. 

I  accompanied  them  to  the  carriage,  Chris  coming 
with  us,  and  his  great  wistful  eyes  followed  her  all 
the  time  until  she  drove  away. 

As  I  returned  into  the  house,  the  Prince  passed 
me  on  the  threshold.  I  stopped,  meaning  to  have 
some  plain-pointed  talk  with  him. 

But  he  prevented  that.  "  I  don't  quarrel  with  a 
man  in  his  own  house,  sir,  but  we  shall  meet  again," 
he  said,  and  hurried  away  without  giving  me  a  chance 
to  reply. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    INSULT. 

Gatrina's  visit  resulted  in  little  more  than  a  fiasco, 
owing  to  the  interruption  of  Prince  Albrevics.  I  re- 
entered  the  house  in  a  quite  fit  mood  to  quarrel  with 
Elma  for  having  brought  him  upon  the  scene  as  she 
had. 

Nikolitch  had  come  out  in  search  of  me,  however, 
and  was  speaking  to  her  in  the  hall,  so  that  I  could 
say  nothing. 

"  You  will  not  be  long,  Bergwyn  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  am  ready  now." 

"  I  will  wait  while  you  despatch  your  business  with 
Colonel  Petrosch,  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  said  Elma,  readily. 
"  I  am  in  no  hurry." 

"  I  regret  I  can  give  you  no  time  to-day,  Baron- 
ess," I  said,  bluntly  intending  it  as  her  dismissal.  But 
she  laughed  it  away. 

"  You  can  come  and  tell  me  so  when  he  has  gone," 
she  answered,  and  turned  into  one  of  the  rooms,  con- 
triving to  convey  a  most  irritating  suggestion  that 
she  was  quite  at  home  and  perfectly  accustomed  to 
humour  my  whims. 

"How  did  she  know  Petrosch  was  here?"  asked 
Nikolitch.  "  She  is  a  wonderful  woman.  She  knows 
everything.  She  will  understand  why  he  has  come." 

"  Let  her,"  said  I,  with  a  shrug.     "  It  makes  no 


THE   INSULT  279 

"difference;"  and  with  that  we  went  back  to  the 
Colonel. 

The  rest  of  the  business  was  soon  despatched.  I 
'handed  him  the  undertaking  I  had  drawn  up  and 
thus  stood  pledged  to  support  the  cause  of  the  army 
on  the  conditions  I  had  already  specified.  When  the 
Colonel  had  gone  Nikolitch  remained,  and  when  we 
had  fixed  up  an  engagement  to  dine  together  that 
night,  he  said: 

"  I  think  you  have  done  the  right  thing,  Bergwyn ; 
and  there  is  no  doubt  your  action  will  strengthen  the 
moderates  among  us.  It  will  make  against  the 
policy  of  violence;  and  may  render  it  impossible.  I 
hope  so  with  all  my  heart,"  he  said,  earnestly. 

"What  will  happen?" 

"  A  forced  abdication.  As  I  have  told  you  it  has 
been  put  to  the  King  more  than  once,  and  he  has 
refused  obstinately.  But  now,  backed  by  the  united 
army,  it  will  be  different." 

"If  he  should  still  refuse?" 

"  He'll  have  to*  go.  The  Queen  has  made  it  im- 
perative. For  a  clever  woman  she  has  made  amaz- 
ing blunders.  Of  course  you  understand  the  Rus- 
sian partisans  won't  love  you  any  more  than  the 
Queen  will  continue  to  be  friendly  to  you  now." 

"  If  she  gets  to  know  what  has  passed." 

He  nodded  significantly  toward  the  room  where 
Elma  had  gone.  "  She'll  see  to  that,  probably — un- 
less she  has  some  other  move.  If  you  can  stop  her, 
I  should." 

"  I  have  no  influence  with  her  and  seek  none." 


280  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  That's  not  the  story  she  persists  in  telling,  my- 
dear  fellow,"  he  said  with  a  slow  smile. 

"  It's  the  story  I  tell — and  it's  the  true  one,  Niko- 
litch.  What  story  do  you  mean  this  of  hers?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  to-night.  I've  a  lot  to  do  now.  Of 
course  you  know  your  own  cards ;  but  if  I  were  you, 
I  should  keep  in  with  her.  She  can  be  dangerous, 
as  I've  told  you  more  than  once.  Well,  till  this 
evening  then,"  he  added  lightly,  and  went  away. 

What  story  had  Elma  been  spreading  now?  I 
had  better  know  it  at  once,  I  thought,  and  went  to 
her  to  ask. 

"The  Colonel  has  gone,  then?  And  the  Captain, 
too.  I  am  glad  you  have  him  for  a  friend,  Mr.  Berg- 
wyn,"  she  said,  in  her  lightest  manner.  "  You  would 
have  found  Belgrade  dull  without  a  man  friend.  Yet 
you  don't  quite  understand  the  captain's  position?" 

"  Did  you  stay  to  enlighten  me?  " 

"  Oh  dear,  no.  I  have  much  more  important  mat- 
ters to  discuss.  But  I  wish  I  had  warned  you  that 
although  he  is  on  excellent  terms  with  the  officers — 
as  he  is  with  everyone,  being  a  delightful  man — yet 
he  is  not  in  the  inner  circle.  He  is  of  great  use  to 
them;  but  he  knows  only  what  they  choose  to  tell 
him.  He  has  been  of  great  use  to  them,  for  instance, 
in  getting  you  over  to  their  cause;  but  of  course  he 
has  led  you  to  make  a  great  mistake." 

"  He  has  just  told  me  that  you  have  spread  some 
report  concerning  you  and  myself.  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  I  thought  he  would.  He  hinted  to  me  just  now 
in  the  minute  I  had  with  him  that  he  had  heard  some- 
thing; and  naturally  I  did  not  undeceive  him.  He 


THE   INSULT  281 

seemed  greatly  mystified;  of  course  I  knew  why," 
she  added. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  enlighten  me?  " 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  rather  a  delicate  question?  " 

"  I  wish  you  would  speak  plainly,"  I  broke  out, 
brusquely. 

"  I  suppose  it  was  in  this  way.  You  see  you  and 
I  were  together  for  some  considerable  time  last  night 
at  the  Palace;  and  as  people  had  heard  rumours  of  the 
reason  for  your  presence  in  Belgrade — rumours  con- 
necting us,  I  mean;  I  suppose  they  put  two  and  two 
together — at  least  they  put  us  together,  that  is  to 
say." 

"  Captain  Nikolitch  puts  the  origin  of  the  rumour 
down  to  you,  Baroness." 

"  I  don't  think  I  object.  American  millionaires 
are  very  rare  in  Belgrade,  and  if  people  chose  to 
think  that  I  was  engaged  to  one,  was  it  likely  that 
I  should  have  so  little  of  feminine  vanity  as  to  be  dis- 
pleased? " 

I  understood  now  the  reason  for  Gatrina's  coldness, 
her  marked  estrangement  during  her  visit,  and  the 
undermeaning  of  some  of  her  words.  She  had  heard 
this  infernal  story.  Elma  enjoyed  my  dismay;  and 
I  believe  understood  the  cause  of  it. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  you  actually  gave  counten- 
ance to  such  a  thing?  " 

"  Pray  don't  look  so  painfully  shocked,  Mr.  Berg- 
wyn,"  she  mocked. 

"  You  will  place  me  in  the  extremely  invidious 
position  of  having  to  deny  the  report,  Baroness." 

Her  laugh  at  this  had  all  the  ring  of  genuineness. 


282  THE    QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  How  will  you  do  it,  Mr.  Bergwyn?  "  she  asked,  in 
renewed  mockery  of  my  earnestness.  "  Think. 
How  can  you  do  it?  You  and  I  know  that  it  has 
no  sort  of  foundation  in  fact;  but  how  can  we  stop 
the  tongue  of  gossip?  Let  us  be  sensible  and  just 
live  it  down.  Other  people's  names  have  been 
coupled  together  in  the  same  way  in  mistake  before 
now;  but  they  have  not  been  married  in  consequence. 
Nor  shall  we  be,  I  suppose.  But  it  is  a  delightful 
situation  none  the  less,  and  just  what  I  desired." 

"  I  remembered  what  you  said  last  night,"  I  ex- 
claimed, angrily. 

"  You  had  better  laugh  at  it  all  than  be  angry." 

"  I  have  no  laughter  to  spare  for  it." 

"  Ah,  that  is  because  of  Gatrina.  Naturally,  too. 
But  it  was  she  who  made  it  necessary,  and  of  course, 
so  far  as  she  is  concerned,  the  desired  effect  has  al- 
ready been  produced.  In  a  week  or  two  the  thing 
will  die  a  natural  death,  as  such  things  do;  and 
neither  of  us  will  be  a  krone  the  worse. 

"  I  think  you  are  the  most  exasperating  woman 
that  ever  lived,"  I  said  hotly. 

"  I  can  quite  understand  that  thought.  As  I  told 
you  last  night  I  have  to  play  many  parts.  This  one 
you  and  Gatrina  together  have  forced  upon  me."  She 
spoke  lightly  and  shrugged  her  shoulders,  but  after 
a  moment  was  serious.  "  I  told  you  also,  last  night, 
that  if  you  forced  me  to  fight,  I  would  do  it  openly. 
Gatrina's  trust  in  you  was  in  our  way  and  had  to  be 
broken  somehow.  It  was  broken  when  she  heard 
this  news.  The  Queen  had  to  use  the  utmost  pres- 
sure to  induce  her  to  come  to  you  to-day.  Her 


THE   INSULT  283 

Majesty  did  me  the  honour  to  ask  me  in  Gatrina's 
presence  whether  there  was  any  truth  in  the  report 
of  my  secret  engagement  to  you — it  is  supposed  to  be 
no  more  than  secret — and  I  could  not,  at  least  I  did 
not,  deny  it." 

"  It  is  infamous,"  I  broke  in,  passionately. 

"  Infamous  if  you  like,  but  necessary.  You  have 
seen  Gatrina  for  the  last  time,  Mr.  Bergwyn." 

"  I  will  go  to  the  Queen  herself  and  deny  it." 

"  You  might,  if  she  would  receive  you.  But 
Gatrina  was  supposed  to  be  coming  as  a  last  step  to 
win  you  and  your  money  to  the  side  of  the  Court. 
Can  she  carry  back  any  news  other  than  that  her 
mission  as  Queen's  Advocate  has  failed?  You  are 
now,  indeed,  pledged  to  support  the  cause  of  Her 
Majesty's  bitterest  enemies — the  army.  And  even 
angry  as  you  are  now,  you  can  judge  the  prospect  of 
your  reception.  You  have  chosen  your  side  and 
must  take  the  bitter  with  the  sweet." 

She  dwelt  on  all  this  with  telling  deliberateness, 
and  the  pitiless  logic  of  every  measured  word  told 
upon  me.  But  the  effect  was  not  what  she  had  in- 
tended. Instead  of  growing  more  angry,  I  began 
to  regain  coolness.  The  perception  of  difficulties  has 
always  a  steadying  result  with  me,  and  I  put  aside 
my  anger  at  once.  It  was  too  dangerous  a  luxury 
at  such  a  juncture. 

"  You  are  building  your  theory  upon  the  assump- 
tion that  I  have  thrown  in  my  lot  with  Colonel 
Petrosch  and  his  friends.  Do  so  by  all  means  if  it 
pleases  you,"  I  said. 

"  I  judge  by  what  I  have  found  here:  but  I  shall 


284  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

know  for  certain  within  a  few  hours.  I  do  not  act 
in  the  dark.  But  if  you  have  not,  it  will  make  no 
difference  in  regard  to  the  Queen's  Advocate." 

"  I  prefer  not  to  discuss  the  Princess  with  you." 

"  You  will  find  some  one  else  who  will  wish  to  do 
so.  Prince  Albrevics  attributes  the  failure  of  his 
marriage  to  you  and  will  force  a  quarrel  upon  you. 
Rumours  of  that  Bosnian  adventure  have  reached 
him.  I  wish  to  warn  you." 

"  Have  you  anything  more  to  say?  "  I -asked  as  I 
rose.  "  If  you  have,  it  will  be  well  to  say  it  at  once, 
as  you  will  have  no  opportunity  in  the  future." 

"  I  suppose  I  have  made  you  feel  like  that,  and 
that  you  won't  believe  I  am  sorry.  You  have  driven, 
me  so  hard.  Yet  I — "  She  paused,  looked  down, 
and  then  rising  came  toward  me  and  said  half  wist- 
fully, half  defiantly :  "  I  need  not  be  your  enemy,  and 
would  much  rather  be  your  friend.  Why  won't  you 
see  this?  All  the  influence  I  have  could  be  yours 
if  you  would  only  let  it  be  so." 

"  I  prefer  to  trust  to  myself  and  take  my  own 
course,  thank  you,"  I  said,  coldly. 

She  sighed  wearily.  "  I  suppose  we  all  have  our 
hours  of  weakness  and  perhaps  this  is  mine.  I  am 
not  ashamed  for  you  to  see  it.  Let  me  be  your 
friend,  Chase.  I — I  won't  ask  for  anything  else. 
But  I  feel  such  a  coward  now  for  all  that  I  have  had 
to  do  against  you.  I  could  help  you  in  all — all  ex- 
cept Gatrina.  That  can  never  be  possible  for  you. 
But  you  are  being  so  shamefully  betrayed." 

"  I  have  given  you  my  answer." 

'  Yes,  I  know,  and  I  know  how  dogged  you  are. 


THE   INSULT  285 

But  if  you  trust  these  officers,  this  Colonel  Petrosch, 
he  will  only  deceive  you.  I  told  you  before,  that 
their  policy  is  to  be  summed  up  in  one  word — assas- 
sination; if  once  they  resolve  to  move.  We  all  know 
that  and  dread  it  for  the  sake  of  Servia.  And  if  you 
help  them  with  money,  they  will  take  it  and  only  lie 
to  you.  Everyone  lies  here.  It  is  the  common  coin 
of  negotiation.  Trust  me  a  little,  just  a  little,  for 
the  sake  of  old  times,  and  I'll  be  true  to  you.  I 
swear  on  my  soul  I  will." 

"  I  do  not  need  your  help." 

"  I  am  not  acting  or  lying  now.  Trust  me  and  I 
will  give  up  all  this  Russian  spying  business  and 
never  touch  it  again.  I  want  to  feel  I  am  working 
for  you,  not  against  you.  My  God,  I  will  do  any- 
thing, anything,  if  you  will  but  let  me." 

"  I  have  already  had  too  clear  a  proof  of  that  to 
wish  for  any  more.  Your  carriage  is  waiting, 
Baroness." 

She  gazed  at  me  intently ;  and  gradually  her  feat- 
ures and  the  expression  of  her  eyes  hardened. 

'"  As  you  will — but  that  decision  will  cost  you 
dear.  The  men  whom  you  have  helped  or  are  going 
to  help  with  your  money  are  assassins;  and  when 
they  have  done  their  work  and  when  the  city  runs 
red  with  blood,  and  both  the  Queen  and  her  advo- 
cate, Gatrina,  lie  dead  among  their  victims,  you  will 
remember  this  hour  and  your  rejection  of  my  help; 
and  eat  out  your  heart  in  belated,  unavailing  regret. 
Do  you  still  persist  in  sending  me  away  ?  " 

"  Your  carriage  is  waiting,"  I  repeated  dog- 
gedly; and  she  went  without  another  word. 


286  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

I  returned  to  my  library  feeling  very  much  dis- 
turbed. I  was  cooking  a  dish  that  didn't  promise  to 
be  easy  of  digestion.  I  could  see  that,  without  the 
help  of  Nikolitch's  words  and  Elma's  dramatic  con- 
firmation of  them.  What  she  had  said  about  assas- 
sination had  impressed  me  more  than  I  cared  to  own; 
and  I  recalled  Nikolitch's  uneasy  hope  on  that  score. 
Two  people  more  unlike  than  he  and  Elma  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find;  and  yet  both  appeared  to  hold 
much  the  same  opinion. 

Then  there  was  this  reported  engagement  to  Elma 
and  all  the  string  of  complications  arising  out  of  it. 
There  was  only  too  much  reason  to  believe  that  it 
had  served  its  end,  as  she  had  said,  in  regard  to 
Gatrina.  It  was  like  a  net  about  my  feet,  entangling 
and  hampering  me;  and  how  to  cut  myself  free  from 
it  was  more  than  I  could  see. 

I  had  given  my  word  to  Gatrina  on  the  previous 
night  that  my  coming  to  Belgrade  had  had  nothing 
to  do  with  Elma;  and  if  I  had  but  known  of  the  re- 
port that  morning  I  could  have  denied  it  to  her.  I 
could  have  gnashed  my  teeth  as  I  recalled  her  phrase 
about  "  other  things  "  she  had  heard  from  Elma  at 
the  Court.  I  could  see  now  what  she  had  meant; 
and  it  was  just  the  opening  I  could  have  used,  had 
I  but  known;  perhaps  given  me  for  the  very  pur- 
pose. ,  I  had  let  it  pass  in  ignorance;  but  I  could 
readily  understand  how  she  would  interpret  my 
silence. 

To  contradict  it  all  now  was  infinitely  difficult.  I 
couldn't  walk  about  the  streets  shouting  it  out  to  the 


THE   INSULT  287 

crowd.  The  door  of  the  Palace  was  closed  to  me; 
and  probably  that  of  Gatrina's  house  as  well. 

But  her  visit  by  the  Queen's  desire,  as  she  had  so 
coldly  said,  gave  tme  the  right  to  return  it,  and  I 
did  so  that  afternoon.  Without  result,  however. 
The  Princess  was  at  the  Palace,  I  was  informed. 

After  a  moment's  thought  I  resolved  to  go  there; 
but  I  did  no  good  by  that.  After  waiting  some  time 
a  message  was  brought  me  that  Her  Majesty  re- 
gretted she  could  not  receive  me  just  then.  I  asked 
for  Gatrina  next,  only  to  be  again  refused;  and  I 
returned  home  in  a  bad  temper  in  consequence. 

I  had  not  recovered  it  when  the  time  came  for  my 
appointment  with  Nikolitch  for  dinner;  and  he  saw 
it. 

"  You  look  worried,"  he  saifa 

"  It'll  pass  off,"  I  replied. 

"  No  bad  news  from  the  States,  I  hope  ?  Not  an- 
other financial  crisis.  They  flourish  over  there  gaily, 
don't  they?" 

"  Men  make  fools  of  themselves  there  as  else- 
where; and  with  us  it  takes  that  form  pretty  often. 
By  the  way,  you  were  going  to  tell  me  some  news 
about  the  Baroness  von  Tulken." 

"  They  say  you're  engaged  to  be  married  to  her." 

"Who  says  it?" 

"  Well,  I  rather  fancy  she  does." 

"  It  isn't  true.     That's  all  there  is  to  it." 

"  That's  what  the  other  side  say." 

"  Who  are  the  other  side ;  and  why  the  devil  do 
people  want  to  gossip  and  chatter  about  me?" 


288  THE    QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

11  My  dear  fellow,  the  place  is  full  of  gossip  about 
you.  I  don't  know  whether  you  care  to  hear  it." 

"  It  don't  amount  to  anything  what  they  say — at 
least  to  me." 

"  I  suppose  it  doesn't.  But  when  a  man's  as  rich 
as  you  are,  they  will  talk.  Have  you  heard  that 
story  about  your  dog  ?  " 

"  My  dog?   ?  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  That  big  brute  of  yours,  Chris.  They  say  he 
saved  the  Princess  Gatrina's  life  in  the  Bosnian  hills 
or  somewhere;  and  that  you  were  in  it  too.  Of 
course  I  laughed  at  it." 

"  Naturally.  So  should  I,"  I  said ;  but  I  was  in 
no  laughing  mood.  "  How  do  you  suppose  such  a 
tale  got  going  ?  " 

"  Some  one  with  a  grudge  against  the  Princess 
started  it.  You  know  what  spiteful  devils  there  are 
hanging  about  the  Court  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  there  are." 

"  Rather.  Peck  each  other's  eyes  out  if  they 
could.  But  this  was  a  blackguard  tale  intended  to 
compromise  her  with  you.  Of  course  there  was  a  lot 
of  talk  about  that  carrying-off  affair.  Some  wanted 
to  make  out  she  bolted  from  Albrevics.  Shouldn't 
blame  her.  He's  a  beast.  Hullo,  there  he  is;  and 
not  so  drunk  as  usual  at  this  hour  either.  I  should 
be  careful  of  him,  Bergwyn.  He  was  abusing  you 
to-day  to  a  friend  of  mine.  He's  seen  us,  I  think, 
and  is  coming  this  way.  Hang  the  fellow,  what  does 
he  want  to  sit  at  the  next  table  to  us  for?  " 

Not  wishing  a  dispute  in  so  public  a  place,  I  was 
careful  not  to  look  around  as  the  Prince  and  a  couple 


THE   INSULT  289 

of  friends  took  their  places  at  the  table  next  to  us 
and  began  to  laugh  and  jest  loudly. 

Nikolitch  nodded  to  the  Prince's  companions 
and  we  went  on  with  our  dinner,  the  talk  drifting  to 
our  old  experiences  in  the  years  when  we  had  first 
known  each  other. 

The  Prince,  as  we  could  not  fail  to  see,  was  drink- 
ing heavily,  and  I  could  tell  from  Nikolitch's  face 
that  like  myself  he  was  beginning  to  expect  trouble. 
Once  or  twice  the  man  was  ill-bred  enough  to 
whisper  to  his  companions  while  pointing  at  me; 
and  then  all  three  would  burst  into  laughter. 

"Should  we  have  our  coffee  inside?"  said  Niko- 
litch at  length — we  were  dining  in  the  open. 

"  Yes,  if  you  like;  "  said  I,  and  we  both  rose.  As 
I  did  so  I  touched,  quite  unintentionally,  the  chair 
of  the  Prince.  He  had  his  wine-glass  in  his  hand, 
and  while  pretending  to  move  out  of  my  way,  he 
deliberately  spilt  the  wine  all  over  me. 

"  To  the  devil  with  your  clumsiness,"  he  cried, 
angrily,  as  he  jumped  to  his  feet;  "  making  me  waste 
good  liquor  in  that  way.  Oh,  it's  the  Yankee  money 
man,  is  it?  "  he  added,  with  an  oath  and  a  sneer. 

"  I  touched  your  chair  quite  accidentally  and  too 
slightly  to  have  caused  you  to  spill  your  wine." 

"  That's  a  lie.  You  did  it  on  purpose,"  he  cried, 
loudly. 

"  Prince  Albrevics !  "  exclaimed  Nikolitch ;  while 
the  two  men  with  him  got  up  looking  very  serious. 

"  I  can't  allow  anyone  to  say  that  to  me,  sir,"  I 
said,  keeping  quite  cool.  "  I  must  ask  you  to  take 
that  word  back  right  here." 


290  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Not  for  any  cowardly  Yankee  that  was  ever 
born." 

"  Perhaps  you  will  do  it  when  you  are  sober  then," 
said  I. 

"  I'm  cursed  if  I'll  let  a  Yankee  pig  say  I'm 
drunk ; "  and  he  rushed  forward  to  strike  me.  I 
pushed  him  back;  but  this  only  infuriated  him  and 
he  sprang  at  me  again. 

I  had  taken  more  than  enough  from  him,  however, 
and  as  he  reached  me  the  second  time,  his  hand  raised 
for  a  blow,  I  got  mine  in  first  and  knocked  him  down. 

The  place  was  instantly  in  an  uproar. 

"  Stay  and  do  what's  necessary,  Nikolitch.  I'm  in 
your  hands.  I'm  going  to  smoke  over  there,"  I  said, 
pointing  to  a  table  at  a  distance.  And  taking  out 
my  cigar-case  I  walked  away  as  the  Prince's  friends 
were  picking  him  up. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

THE    DUEL. 

I  must  have  hit  the  Prince  hard,  judging  by  the 
effects.  His  friends  picked  him  up  and  after  a 
minute  or  so  led  him  away  into  the  hotel.  Then 
Nikolitch  came  across  to  me,  his  look  very  troubled. 
'  This  is  an  ugly  business,  Bergwyn.  He's  badly 
marked  and  half  dazed  with  your  blow." 

"  I  am  more  sorry  for  it  than  I  can  say,"  I  replied. 
I  regretted  it  intensely  indeed. 

"  It  was  his  fault — his  only.  We  all  saw  that.  He 
came  to  the  place  with  the  intention  of  quarrelling. 
He  knew  we  were  to  dine  here.  One  of  his  com- 
panions heard  it  from  a  friend  of  mine.  He  behaved 
abominably.  We  all  see  that:  even  his  friends." 

"  Oh,  yes,  the  insult  was  deliberate.  I  couldn't 
take  that.  What  is  to  happen  ?  " 

"  I  said  that  we  would  go  to  your  house :  and 
should  be  there,  if  they  had  a  message  to  bring.  Shall 
we  go  ?  " 

"  It  means  a  meeting,  of  course,"  I  said,  as  we  left. 

"  Of  course.     Have  you  been  out  before?  " 

"  No;  we  don't  settle  our  quarrels  this  way  in  the 
States;  but  I've  been  in  more  than  one  ugly  scrap 
and  come  through." 

"  He's  an  old  hand  at  it  and  is  an  excellent  swords- 
man. But  you  will  have  choice  of  weapons.  You 


292  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

beat  him,  through  being  so  cool.  He  generally  gets 
the  choice  of  weapons,  taking  care  to  give  the  insult 
and  so  be  the  challenged  party.  That  was  his  move 
just  now.  He  first  insulted  you,  thinking  you  would 
challenge  him;  and  when  you  didn't,  he  meant  to 
strike  you  so  that  you'd  be  obliged.  I  was  glad  you 
prevented  that."  « 

"  I'd  give  a  good  deal  to  be  out  of  it,"  I  said,  after 
a  pause.  My  companion  glanced  at  me  in  some  sur- 
prise. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  avoid  it." 

"  I'm  not  afraid.  I  don't  mean  that.  But  coming 
right  on  top  of  what  you  were  saying  about  the 
Princess,  it  will  set  tongues  wagging  about  her." 

"  You  mean  the  dog  story?  "  I  nodded.  "  You 
don't  mean  there's  anything  in  that?  " 

"  There's  one  woman  who  knows  it  all  and  by  this 
time  has  the  proofs.  The  Baroness  von  Tulken." 

"  To  the  devil  with  that  woman.  She's  in  every- 
thing," 'he  exclaimed.  "  Of  course  that's  where  it 
comes  from:  and  of  course  she  told  Albrevics.  It's 
an  ugly  story  for  him  to  hear.  You'll  have  to  be 
careful.  He  means  mischief." 

"  I'm  not  thinking  about  him." 

"  No,  but  he's  been  thinking  about  you,  Bergwyn. 
What  will  you  do  ?  " 

"  What  the  devil  can  I  do,  man  ?  If  it  would  help 
things  for  her,  I'd  choose  pistols  and  kill  him;  but  it 
would  only  make  matters  worse  for  her.  Everyone 
will  set  the  quarrel  down  to  her;  and  that's  just  what 
I'd  have  given  anything  to  avoid." 

"  Oh,  it  wouldn't  hurt    her.      It  doesn't  hurt  a 


THE   DUEL  293 

woman  here  for  two  men  to  quarrel  about  her — 
choosing,  of  course,  a  decent  pretext — and  for  one 
of  'em  to  be  killed.  It's  happened  often  enough." 
His  indifferent  tone  no  less  than  his  words  astonished 
me.  "  Are  you  a  good  shot  ?  "  he  added  after  a 
pause. 

"  I  can  shoot  a  bit,  and  use  a  sword  well  enough  to 
keep  myself  out  of  danger,  probably,  if  it  comes  to 
that." 

"  It  will  come  to  one  or  the  other,  Bergwyn. 
There's  no  other  way  now.  Have  you  any  foils 
here?  "  he  asked  as  we  reached  my  house;  and  when 
I  produced  them  he  proposed  that  we  should  try  a 
bout. 

We  took  off  our  coats  and  set  to  work  at  once. 
Mine  was  a  very  indifferent  style,  very  rough  and 
ready,  and  his  particularly  polished,  acquired  in  the 
latest  Italian  school.  But  mine  served  me  well 
enough  for  defensive  purposes.  He  was  the  better 
swordsman,  with  a  dozen  more  tricks  of  fence  than  I 
possessed,  but  he  could  not  break  through  my  guard. 
He  touched  me  more  than  once;  but  not  so  as  to 
have  inflicted  any  serious  wound,  had  the  weapons 
been  sharp. 

"  You  haven't  much  to  fear  from  the  Prince,"  he 
said  in  one  of  the  breathing  spaces.  "  His  is  also 
the  Italian  style;  and  he's  better  than  I  am;  but  you 
have  a  devil  of  a  defence.  Can  you  force  the  fight- 
ing a  bit?  Try  now." 

We  crossed  again  and  this  time,  after  a  long,  de- 
fensive play  I  changed  my  tactics  suddenly,  and 
touched  him. 


294  THE   QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

"  You  got  me  in  the  arm,"  he  cried,  directly. 
"  And  well  done,  too.  You'll  wear  the  Prince  down. 
That's  his  one  failing — he  can't  keep  his  temper.  I 
have  no  fear  for  to-morrow.  You  have  an  iron 
wrist." 

We  were  thus  engaged  when  Buller  brought  word! 
that  the  friends  of  Prince  Albrevics  had  arrived. 
Nikolitch  put  on  his  coat  and  went  to  them.  He  was 
in  high  spirits. 

"  It  is  the  challenge,  of  course,"  he  said  when  he 
returned.  "Shall  we  make  it  swords  or  pistols?  I 
have  arranged  to  meet  to-morrow  morning  a  mile  or 
two  out  of  the  city.  If  you  don't  want  to  kill  him  I 
should  choose  swords." 

"  Let  it  be  swords  then,"  I  agreed. 

"  He's  got  a  devil  of  a  bruise  on  his  face,  they  tell 
me,"  he  declared  with  obvious  glee,  as  he  left  me 
again.  "  As  if  a  horse  had  kicked  him,  one  of  them 
says." 

"  We've  arranged  it  all,"  he  reported  when  he 
came  back  again.  "  They  were  surprised  at  your 
choosing  swords,  because  of  his  reputation,  but  it 
will  be  all  right.  You'll  wear  him  down.  I  know 
him.  And  now  I'll  be  off  and  find  some  one  to  act 
with  me.  Get  to  bed  early  and  have  as  much  sleep 
as  you  can.  I'll  be  round  in  time  in  the  morning." 

I  sat  for  some  time  after  he  had  left  me,  smoking 
and  thinking.  I  regretted  the  whole  thing  more 
than  I  can  say;  but  when  I  found  my  thoughts  get- 
ting into  a  very  gloomy  vein,  I  put  the  brake  on;  and 
taking  Nikolitch's  advice,  went  off  to  bed  and  slept 
soundly  until  Buller  called  me. 


THE   DUEL  295 

Nikolitch  came  in  good  time  bringing  a  friend,  a 
Captain  Astic,  and  we  drove  off.  It  was  a  gloriously 
fine  morning,  the  air  cool,  refreshing  and  brisk. 

'  Too  much  sun,"  was  Nikolitch's  practical  com- 
ment. He  looked  at  everything  as  if  it  affected  the 
matter  in  hand,  and  spoke  of  it  as  though  it  were  the 
most  ordinary  course  in  the  world  that  two  sane 
men  should  go  out  to  do  murder  if  possible. 

Of  my  own  sensations  I  need  not  say  much.  I 
was  thoughtful,  preoccupied  indeed,  and  gloomy.  I 
don't  think  I  was  afraid;  although  the  deliberateness 
of  the  preparations  and  the  anticipation  of  having  to 
meet  a  man  in  cold  blood  and  fight  him  for  my  life, 
made  the  affair  appear  almost  formidable.  I  was  far 
from  having  a  wish  to  do  the  Prince  any  injury,  to 
say  nothing  of  taking  his  life;  and  my  chief  thought 
was  the  impossible  wish  that  the  whole  matter, 
quarrel  and  all,  could  have  been  wiped  out  of  the 
record  of  things  done  and  be  deemed  never  to  have 
occurred. 

I  don't  think  I  spoke  during  the  drive  out;  but  I 
remember  taking  notice  of  many  trifles.  There  was 
a  loose  button  in  the  upholstering  of  the  carriage; 
some  stains  on  Captain  Astic's  uniform  caught  my 
eye,  and  I  contrasted  it  with  the  smart  grooming  of 
Nikolitch.  My  friend  was  awkward  in  handling  the1 
pair  of  swords  we  had  with  us ;  and  he  and  the  other 
joked  about  it.  Trifles  of  that  kind  struck  me;  and 
when  the  drive  came  to  an  end  and  we  left  the  car- 
riage, I  can  recall  my  distinct  sensation  of  relief,  fol- 
lowed by  a  fidgetty  impatience  to  get  the  affair  over. 

I  was  irritated  because  the  other  side  kept  us  wait- 


296  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

ing  a  considerable  time.  My  seconds  lit  cigarettes 
and  first  picked  out  the  best  spot  for  the  encounter; 
then  in  low  tones  discussed  the  delay  and  the  prob- 
able reasons  for  it;  whether  the  Prince  was  too  ill  to 
come;  how  long  we  need  wait  for  him;  and  so  on. 
They  appeared  to  me  to  speak  with  a  certain  amount 
of  disappointment,  as  one  might  regret  being  robbed 
of  a  promised  entertainment. 

The  air  began  to  chill  them  and  they  stamped 
about  and  clapped  their  gloved  hands  to  keep  the 
blood  circulating.  But  I  felt  nothing  of  that.  I  sat 
quite  still  on  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree  and  was  con- 
scious mainly  of  a  sort  of  impressive  awe  making 
everything  seem  unreal,  mingled  with  a  growing 
desire  that  the  fight  could  be  avoided;  or  rather  the 
necessity  for  it  obliterated — for  I  was  perfectly 
aware  of  its  inevitability. 

I  could  not  bring  myself  to  wish  to  harm  the  man 
I  was  to  meet.  Once  or  twice  I  sought  to  rouse  my 
anger  against  him  by  recalling  the  insult  of  the  pre- 
vious evening  and  the  foulness  of  his  words  and  con- 
duct. But  even  while  I  appreciated  its  wantonness 
and  inexcusable  grossness,  I  could  not  stir  myself 
to  any  real  passion.  My  sense  of  regret  for  the  whole 
business  overshadowed  everything. 

I  believe  my  companions  thought  I  was  suffering 
from  fear;  but  it  was  not  conscious  fear,  if  fear  at  all. 
I  did  not  anticipate  any  serious  results  to  myself 
from  the  duel.  Such  a  thought  never  occurred  to 
me:  it  was  the  lethargy  of  an  overwhelming  revolt 
from  the  affair  as  a  whole. 

It  began  to  grow  less  absorbing  when  I  heard  Cap- 


THE   DUEL 


297 


tain  Astic  tell  Nikolitch,  in  a  tone  of  unmistakable 
relief  and  satisfaction,  that  the  others  were  coming. 

Nikolitch  came  and  told  me,  and  I  noticed  a  solici- 
tude and  anxiety  in  his  tone  and  look  that  were  new. 

"  Very  well,"  I  said,  with  half  a  sigh. 

'  You  have  nothing  to  fear,"  he  whispered,  that 
Astic  might  not  hear  him. 

"  I  do  fear  nothing,  Nikolitch,"  I  said,  with  a 
smile;  and  his  face  brightened  at  the  smile. 

As  soon  as  they  came  the  four  seconds  busied 
themselves  in  settling  the  preliminaries  and  then 
Nikolitch  introduced  a  fifth  man  to  me. 

"  Doctor  Astic,  the  Captain's  brother,  Bergwyn." 

We  shook  hands  and  the  doctor  had  a  steady  look 
into  my  eyes.  "  It's  a  chilly  morning  although  so 
bright — but  we  get  them  here  sometimes,"  he  said. 

"  Any  morning's  good  enough  for  this  sort  of 
thing,"  I  answered;  and  he  had  another  stare  at  me 
and  then  put  down  his  case  of  instruments  on  the 
tree  where  I  had  been  sitting. 

"  Will  you  get  ready,  Mr.  Bergwyn?  "  asked  Cap- 
tain Astic. 

I  saw  the  Prince  already  had  his  coat  off  and  I 
made  ready,  the  Captain  meanwhile  pointing  out  the 
positions  we  were  to  take  with  cheerful  but  profes- 
sional coolness. 

As  they  placed  us,  I  saw  the  mark  of  my  blow  on 
the  Prince's  face  and  I  noticed  also  that  he  was  none 
too  steady  on  his  feet.  I  called  Nikolitch  to  me  and 
pointed  this  out. 

"  It's  his  affair,"  he  answered  with  a  shrug  of  the 
shoulders. 


298  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  I  can't  fight  a  sick  man,"  I  said,  sharply.  "  Speak 
to  the  doctor  about  it." 

"  But  it's  so  irregular,"  he  objected. 

"  I  insist,"  I  declared. 

He  spoke  to  Astic  and  then  to  the  Prince's  seconds 
and  after  some  discussion,  in  which  all  four  took  part, 
they  called  the  doctor  up  to  them.  Then  his  seconds 
spoke  to  the  Prince  and  some  angry  words  passed; 
and  again  the  four  seconds  consulted.  Then  Niko- 
litch  came  to  me  looking  angry  and  crestfallen. 

"I'm  sorry;  but  they  think  you're  afraid,  Berg- 
wyn,"  he  said. 

"  I  don't  care  a  red  cent  what  they  think.  Does 
the  doctor  say  the  Prince  is  fit  to  fight?  He  can 
'hardly  stand;  look  at  him  lurching  there." 

"  Oh,  Astic  says  he's  all  right :  and  he  knows  him." 

"  Then  he  takes  the  responsibility.     I  won't." 

"  He's  only  in  a  devil  of  a  rage." 

"  Very  well,  then.     I'm  ready." 

A  minute  later  the  word  was  given  and  we  en- 
gaged. I  had  no  lethargy  left  now.  The  last  ves- 
tige of  it  vanished  when  I  felt  his  blade  pressing  mine 
and  met  his  scowl  of  positively  devilish  hate.  I 
needed  no  more  than  a  glance  into  his  eyes  to  see 
that  he  had  come  out  to  kill  me,  and  that  my  life  de- 
pended upon  my  skill  and  coolness. 

But  he  was  either  too  ill  or  too  angry  to  be  really 
dangerous.  He  attacked  me  furiously  from  the 
start;  but  he  fought  so  wildly  that  I  found  myself 
quite  able  to  hold  him  in  check,  and  I  let  him  exert 
himself  to  the  utmost  with  the  sure  knowledge  that 
in  such  a  state  he  could  not  keep  it  up  long. 


THE  DUEL  299 

I  think  he  had  reckoned  upon  being  able  to  treat 
me  with  the  same  contempt  as  a  swordsman  as  he 
had  treated  me  as  a  man  the  night  before ;  and  when 
he  found  out  his  mistake,  it  provoked  his  rage  until 
he  fought  with  the  frenzy  of  a  madman. 

Had  he  been  himself  and  not  so  furiously  reckless, 
I  think  he  would  have  had  an  easy  enough  victory, 
for  he  had  a  hundred  tricks  of  fence  where  I  had 
none. 

He  seemed  to  realise  something  of  this,  too,  when 
we  had  been  hard  at  it  for  some  time,  for  he  began  to 
fight  with  less  vehemence  and  much  more  wariness. 

But  he  had  wasted  his  strength  by  that  time;  and 
to  waste  it  still  further,  I  commenced  to  push  mat- 
ters a  bit  from  my  side.  He  began  to  breathe  hard. 
The  pressure  of  his  blade  against  mine  weakened. 
Twice  his  foot  slipped  and  he  exposed  himself  dan- 
gerously; and  then  I  knew  I  was  going  to  beat  him. 

I  took  no  advantage  of  his  slips.  The  man  was 
ill,  or  drunk,  or  suffering  from  the  effects  of  drink; 
and  I  could  not  bring  myself  even  to  wound  him. 

I  just  kept  to  my  tactics  of  wearing  him  down, 
defending  myself  when  he  attacked  me  and  pressing 
him  whenever  he  sought  to  ease  off  to  get  his  breath 
back. 

At  last  it  became  little  more  than  a  burlesque.  He 
was  so  winded  and  exhausted  and  so  unsteady  on  his 
legs  that  he  could  scarcely  continue  the  fight,  scarcely 
hold  his  sword,  indeed;  and  when  I  realised  this  I 
made  a  big,  pressing  effort,  and  seizing  my  moment, 
whipped  his  sword  out  of  his  hand  and  left  him  gasp-^ 
ing  impotently  in  dismay  and  breathlessness  and 


300  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

lurching  like  a  discomfited,  angry  fool,  until  he  began 
to  clamour  to  renew  the  fight. 

The  seconds  interfered  at  this,  however;  even  his 
own  men  protesting.  I  stood  while  they  settled  it; 
and  then  turned  away  to  dress. 

Nikolitch  was  loud  in  praises  of  me  as  I  put  on  my 
coat,  but  regretted  I  had  not  wounded  him;  as  he 
might  want  to  have  another  meeting. 

"  I  shouldn't  meet  him  again.  It's  an  additional 
insult  that  he  should  have  come  out  in  such  a  state. 
And  you'd  better  let  him  know  I  shan't  meet  him 
again.  If  he  monkeys  with  me  again  I'll  settle  it  in 
a  more  American  fashion;  and  if  there's  to  be  another 
fight  of  the  kind,  it  shall  begin  where  this  morning's 
has  ended." 

To  my  astonishment  Nikolitch  carried  the  message 
to  one  of  the  Prince's  seconds  and  then  we  left  the 
ground  and  drove  back  to  the  city. 

I  kept  Nikolitch  and  Captain  Astic  to  breakfast, 
and  they  could  speak  of  nothing  but  the  fight;  criti- 
cising it  with  almost  as  much  fond  enthusiasm  as  if 
they  had  been  experts  describing  a  good  game  of 
baseball. 

I  was  glad  when  they  left  me,  indeed,  and  I  could 
settle  down  to  a  quiet  review  of  the  situation.  Niko- 
litch was  to  see  me  again  in  the  afternoon;  and  he 
declared  joyously  and  with  a  certain  air  of  rather 
self-congratulatory  importance,  that  they  would  both 
have  a  busy  time  in  seeing  that  a  true  account  of  the 
duel  was  spread  about. 

''  You  are  a  fortunate  man,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  and  will- 
be  a  popular  one,"  said  Captain  Astic.  "  The  Prince 


THE    DUEL  301 

is  thoroughly  well  hated  and  people  will  be  ready  to 
make  much  of  you." 

I  did  not  regard  it  at  all  in  that  light.  It  was 
Gatrina's  good-will,  not  that  of  the  crowd,  which  I 
sought;  and  I  felt  she  would  hear  with  strong  preju- 
dice that  I  had  allowed  myself  to  be  drawn  into  a 
quarrel  which  she  would  know  well  enough  could 
only  have  arisen  on  her  account. 

Estranged  as  she  already  was  by  this  monstrous 
story  of  my  secret  understanding  with  Elma,  she 
would  be  quite  incapable  of  appreciating  my  motives 
or  feelings;  and  the  fact  that  I  could  not  get  to  her 
to  explain  everything  irritated  me  almost  beyond 
endurance. 

It  was  my  helplessness  in  that  direction  which  tried 
me  more  than  anything.  She  had  set  up  a  barrier 
between  us  which  I  could  not  break  through.  There 
was  nothing  I  could  do  but  fret  and  fume  and  pace 
up  and  down  the  room  and  down  and  up  again,  in 
vain  imaginings  as  to  how  things  were  to  end. 

To  an  active  temperament  like  mine  nothing  could 
be  more  galling.  Prompt  decision  and  action  were 
mental  instincts  with  me.  I  was  accustomed  in  all 
affairs  of  life  to  take  hold  of  a  thing,  plan  my  course 
and  follow  it  up  quickly  and  energetically.  And  yet 
here  I  had  somehow  allowed  the  reins  to  be  snatched 
from  my  grasp  and  could  only  wring  my  hands  in 
fatuous  futility  while  I  was  being  carried  I  could  not 
tell  where. 

Do  something  I  must;  so  I  made  another  effort  to 
see  Gratina,  and  pushed  it  until  I  met  witn  a  very 


302  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

ugly  rebuff.  I  was  told  she  was  out,  and  I  declared 
I  would  wait  until  she  returned. 

I  waited,  and  waited,  and  waited  until  my  patience 
was  exhausted,  only  to  be  told  by  her  servants  that 
while  I  had  been  waiting  she  had  returned  and  gone 
out  again  without  seeing  me. 

I  went  home  and  wrote  to  her  that  I  must  §ee  her 
on  a  matter  of  the  most  urgent  importance.  I  gave 
the  letter  to  Buller  with  instructions  to  place  it  per- 
sonally in  Gatrina's  hands. 

An  hour  and  more  passed,  and  when  he  came  he 
brought  a  reply  in  her  handwriting.  I  tore  the 
envelope  open  and  my  own  letter,  unopened,  was 
enclosed  and  with  it  a  cutting  from  a  paper  of  that 
morning's  date,  announcing  in  guarded  terms  my 
engagement  to  Elma. 

At  first  I  flushed  with  mortification  and  resent- 
ment, but  then  caught  a  glimpse  of  light. 

If  it  was  really  the  lie  about  Elma  which  had 
estranged  her,  I  had  but  to  get  the  truth  to  her  to 
change  that  anger  and  make  her  feel  the  injustice  she 
had  done  me. 

I  cast  about  for  the  means.  She  would  neither 
see  me  nor  read  my  letters ;  so  that  I  must  find  some- 
one who  could  get  access  to  her. 

I  thought  instantly  of  Karasch.  I  would  send  him 
to  her  and  let  Chris  go  with  him  as  a  mute  ambas- 
sador. This  might  touch  her  for  the  sake  of  the 
past;  and  Karasch's  message  should  be  just  one  sen- 
tence— that  the  announcement  in  the  paper  was  a 
lie. 

I  sent  for  him  at  once,  instructed  him  how  to  act, 


THE   DUEL  303 

and  despatched  him  on  the  errand;  only  to  be  de- 
feated again,  however.  Gatrina  had  refused  to  see 
him. 

There  was  only  Nikolitch  left,  and  even  he  failed 
me.  He  did  not  come  at  the  time  he  had  appointed, 
and  when  I  went  to  his  rooms  in  search  of  him,  I 
heard  that  he  had  been  sent  away  on  military  busi- 
ness and  would  not  return  until  night  or  the  next 
morning. 

So  the  whole  day  passed  without  anything  being 
done  to  kill  the  lie  which  was  having  such  ominous 
results  for  me. 

It  was  noon  on  the  next  day  when  I  saw  Nikolitch; 
and  very  anxious  and  disturbed  he  looked. 

"  I  have  grave  news  for  you,  Bergwyn,"  he  said 
at  once.  "  The  officers  are  going  to  move  at  once 
and  a  day  or  two,  perhaps  an  hour  or  two,  will  find 
the  crisis  here." 

"  I  want  to  see  you  about  something  else,"  I  said, 
eagerly. 

"  My  news  first,"  he  replied.  "  Before  anything 
else,  you  must  know  it.  I  fear  that  that  condition 
of  no  violence  will  not  be  kept." 

Instantly  my  thoughts  were  for  Gatrina  and  I 
chilled  with  fear  for  her. 

"  Speak  plainly,  Nikolitch." 

"  I  have  come  back  at  some  risk  to  do  so.  I  have 
only  the  worst  to  report.  We  moderates  have  been 
outvoted." 

Like  a  flash  Elma's  grim  word,  "  Assassination  " 
darted  across  my  mind  as  I  waited  for  him  to  con- 
tinue. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    SCENT    OF    PERIL. 

"  I  got  a  scent  of  the  trouble  yesterday,"  said 
Nikolitch  after  a  pause,  long  enough  to  try  my 
patience  severely;  "and  should  have  come  to  you 
at  once,  but  I  was  sent  out  of  the  city  to  Jagodina 
with  part  of  the  regiment.  I  dared  not  write  to  you 
for  fear  the  letter  got  into  wrong  hands." 

"  What  did  you  hear,  and  how?  " 

'  You  know  there  have  been  many  changes  made 
in  the  regiments  here;  and  no  one  could  understand 
the  reason  for  them.  But  I  believe  I  know  it  now. 
Those  officers  who  are  against  force  have  been  grad- 
ually sent  out  of  the  city  and  their  places  rilled  by 
men  of  the  opposite  views.  Yesterday  an  excuse 
was  made  that  some  manoeuvres  were  to  be  held 
round  Jagodina;  and  by  means  of  it  nearly  all  of  the 
no-violence  men  were  sent  away — myself  amongst 
them;  while  others  have  been  moved  in.  You  can 
guess  the  object — a  coup  d'etat." 

"And  Petrosch?" 

"  Was  like  a  sphinx  when  I  managed  to  see  him 
yesterday.  Denied  the  idea  of  force,  referred  to  the 
arrangement  with  you;  but  would  say  not  a  word  as 
to  what  was  intended.  He  pleaded  entire  igno- 
rance." 


THE   SCENT   OF  PERIL  305 

"What  will  happen?" 

"  I  cannot  say.  We  discussed  it  all  last  night  at 
Jagodina,  and  the  impression  there  is  that  some  most 
drastic  steps  have  been  decided  secretly  and  that  we 
were  being  got  out  of  the  way  for  them  to  be  carried 
out." 

"  What  kind  of  violence  do  you  anticipate?  " 

"  God  knows,"  he  exclaimed,  throwing  up  his 
hands,  almost  despairingly. 

"  We  must  see  Petrosch." 

"  I  dare  not.  I  am  supposed  to  be  in  Jagodina. 
I  got  leave  of  absence  because  the  chief  is  very 
friendly,  but  he  said  I  must  not  come  to  Belgrade. 
He  meant  I  mustn't  let  him  know  if  I  did.  So  I  said 
I  wished  to  go  to  Alexinatz.  But  I  felt  I  must  get 
the  news  to  you  somehow;  so  I  came  here  secretly. 
I  shall  be  broken  if  my  presence  is  known." 

"  Won't  you  stay  and  see  it  through,  now  you  are 
here?" 

"  I  owe  you  no  less,  Bergwyn,  let  happen  what 
will.  I  have  got  you  into  it.  But  I  should  prefer 
not  to  go  outside  this  house  if  we  can  hdp  it." 

"  I  wanted  you  to  do  me  a  great  service.  And  it 
is  more  important  now  than  ever,  if  what  you  think 
is  true." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  To  go  to  the  Princess  Gatrina." 

"  I  have  thought  of  her.  That's  largely  why  I 
came — after  what  you  told  me  about  the  hill  busi- 
ness." 

"  You  think  she  would  be  in  danger?  " 

"  How  can  it  be  otherwise?     But  of  course  it  de- 


306  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

pends  on  what  is  going  to  happen.  You  must  warn 
her." 

"  That's  just  it.  I  can't  get  a  word  to  her.  I  was 
trying  all  yesterday.  She  won't  see  me,  wouldn't 
read  a  letter  I  sent  asking  her  to  see  me;  wouldn't 
even  let  the  man  who  helped  us  in  the  hill  affair  have 
a  word  with  her.  I  hoped  you  would  be  able  to  help 
me." 

He  hesitated  a  moment.  "  Of  course  I  will,"  he 
said  then.  "  The  thing's  too  grave  to  let  any  per- 
sonal considerations  weigh  with  me.  She  must  be 
persuaded  to  leave  the  city — at  least  until  the  officers 
have  carried  out  their  plan." 

"  She  won't  go." 

"  She  must,  or  the  worst  may  happen  to  her.  Some 
of  these  men  will  go  to  any  extreme." 

"  Put  it  plainer,  Nikolitch.  You  mean  her  life 
will  be  in  danger?  " 

"  I  don't  like  even  to  think  of  it  in  plain  terms, 
Bergwyn.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  believe  I'm  hor- 
ribly afraid  and  can't  think." 

"  I'll  go  to  Petrosch  myself  at  once,  while  you  go 
to  the  Princess.  I  think  she  will  receive  you.  What 
I  want  you  particularly  to  do  with  her  is  persuade  her 
that  there  is  no  foundation  for  this  statement;  "  and  I 
put  the  newspaper  cutting  in  his  hand. 

He  read  it  and  looked  up.  "  Is  it  a  time  to  think 
of  this?  "  he  asked. 

'  Yes ;  because  when  that  is  contradicted  she  may 
consent  to  see  me  and  I  can  add  my  influence  to  per- 
suade her  to  seek  safety  in  flight." 

"  Would  they  let  her  go  ?  "  he  asked. 


THE   SCENT   OF   PERIL  307 

"  Get  her  consent  and  I'll  do  the  rest." 

"  Send  your  man  to  my  rooms  for  clothes.  I 
mustn't  be  seen  in  these;  "  and  he  shewed  me  that 
under  a  long  overcoat  he  was  wearing  his  uniform. 

I  rang  for  Buller  and  gave  him  instructions,  and 
then  started  to  find  Colonel  Petrosch.  I  had  muc'h 
difficulty,  driving  from  place  to  place  and  losing 
much  time,  to  catch  him  after  all  at  his  house. 

Having  heard  of  my  first  call  he  was  thus  prepared 
for  my  visit;  and  must  have  guessed  my  object,  al- 
though he  expressed  surprise  at  seeing  me. 

"  I  wish  to  see  you  very  particularly,  Colonel;  you 
will  have  heard  that  I  called  'here  a  couple  of  hours 
ago;  and  I  have  been  seeking  you  ever  since." 

"  I  am  very  sorry ;  but  of  course  if  you  had  sent 
me  word  beforehand  I  would  have  waited  in  or  come 
to  you,  Mr.  Bergwyn." 

"  I  could  not  do  that.  I  have  only  just  heard  the 
news  which  has  brought  me  to  you." 

"Indeed.     How?" 

"  I  have  many  sources,  as  you  will  understand.  Is 
it  true  that  the  officers  have  resolved  upon  their  line 
of  action?  " 

"  Yes.     I  told  you  that  two  days  ago." 

"What  is  it?" 

"  I  told  you  then  I  could  not  disclose  it,  Mr.  Berg- 
wyn. You  will  remember  that." 

"  Has  there  been  any  alteration  in  their  plans?  " 

He  paused.  "  In  a  sense,  no.  No  finally  decisive 
step  taken." 

"  There  have  been  some  considerable  changes  in 
the  disposition  of  the  regiments?  " 


308  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Oh,  yes.  We  have  had  some  manoeuvres  at 
Jagodina  and  have  had  to  make  them  as  imposing  as 
possible." 

"  That  is  the  only  reason  for  the  changes  ?  " 

"  Not  entirely.  Some  have  been  made  in  connec- 
tion with  the  plan  of  the  officers." 

"  A  large  number  of  officers  have  been  brought  to 
the  capital.  I  know  that.  Are  these  the  men  who 
favour  a  policy  of  force  ?  " 

He  flinched  from  the  question.  "  Is  that  your  in- 
formation ?  " 

"  Yes;  just  that." 

"  To  a  certain  extent  you  are  right,  Mr.  Berg- 
wyn,"  he  answered  slowly.  "  I  had  better  tell  you 
something.  Since  I  saw  you,  a  formal  demand  has 
been  made  to  the  King  to  abdicate,  backed  by  the 
statement  '  that  a  refusal  would  be  followed  by  the 
•declaration  of  the  army  against  him.'  At  first  he  re- 
fused; but  afterwards  withdrew  the  peremptory 
refusal  and  asked  for  time  to  consider  the  matter. 
A  week  was  conceded  and  there  the  matter  was  left." 

"  Then  nothing  will  be  done  for  a  week?  " 

"  Nothing  would  have  been  done;  but  His  Majesty 
or  the  Government,  most  probably  the  Queen,  has 
broken  faith.  Of  those  who  waited  upon  him — 
there  were  five — three  have  been  arrested  and 
thrown  into  prison.  Naturally  the  army  is  embit- 
tered." 

"What  will  be  done?" 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  For  whatever  hap- 
pens now,  the  blame  will  lie  with  the  Court." 

"  I  suppose  that's  about  as  hopeless  news  as  you 
could  give  me," 


THE   SCENT   OF  PERIL  309 

"  It  is  not  good,"  he  replied,  very  gravely. 

"  You  are  still  in  a  position  to  keep  the  condition 
of  no  violence." 

"  We  have  decided  to  release  you  from  your 
undertaking  so  that  we  may  not  even  appear  to  be 
guilty  of  bad  faith.  The  decision  has  just  been 
made;  and  I  should  have  written  you  at  once  or  seen 
you,  to  return  you  this  paper;  "  and  he  put  my  letter 
back  into  my  hands. 

Nothing  that  he  could  have  said  or  done  would 
have  so  deeply  impressed  me  as  that. 

"  You  told  me  there  had  been  no  change  of  plan." 

"  There  has  been  none — yet,"  he  answered.  "  The 
fmal  decision  has  still  to  be  made." 

"  I  have  heard  your  policy  summed  up  in  the  one 
word — assassination." 

"  Our  policy  has  always  been  liable  to  misinterpre- 
tation; against  that,  in  times  like  these,  we  cannot 
guard." 

"  I  won't  disguise  from  you  that  you  have  alarmed 
me  greatly." 

"  Is  there  a  man  in  the  country  at  the  present  time 
who  does  not  view  the  future  with  alarm  ?  The  issues 
are  too  fateful  for  all  classes,  Mr.  Bergwyn.  But  if 
you  are  speaking  in  contemplation  of  any  sort  of 
financial  business,  I  would  advise  you  strongly  to 
hold  your  hand  and  wait." 

"How  long?" 

"  Until  the  new  Government  is  established,  the 
new  King  crowned  and  the  country  once  more 
settled." 

"  The  new  King?  "  I  asked  quickly. 


310  THE   QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  The  succession  will  revert  to  the  Karageorge- 
vics." 

"  And  Princess  Gatrina?  " 

"  It  is  very  unfortunate  for  her  and  her  friends 
that  she  still  remains  in  the  city."  He  spoke  with 
impressive  deliberation. 

"  It  is  largely  on  her  account  I  have  been  influ- 
enced in  what  I  have  done." 

"  So  I  have  gathered  for  myself,  Mr.  Bergwyn ; 
and  so  I  have  thought,  despite  the  contradictory 
rumours  which  have  reached  me  concerning  you 
both — and  others." 

"  Can  you  give  me  no  assurance  that  at  least  she 
will  be  in  no  personal  danger?  " 

He  paused  a  long  time  to  think.  "  Personally  I 
will  do  everything  in  my  power.  You  have  met  me 
so  frankly  that  you  deserve  no  less.  You  may  rely 
upon  me  to  do  my  utmost;  but  although  I  sihall  of 
course  have  considerable  influence,  I  am  but  one  of 
many." 

"  She  would  be  allowed  to  leave  the  city?  " 

"  Her  departure  would  be  welcome  if  she  would 
go  at  once." 

"  And  if  she  stays?" 

"  She  may  carry  her  life  in  her  hands,  Mr.  Berg- 
wyn." 

"  But  I  could  still  depend  upon  your  influence?  " 

"  To  the  uttermost  shred.  I  give  you  my  hon- 
our." 

I  rose  to  go  then.  "  I  need  not  assure  you  that  I 
shall  treat  in  confidence  what  you  have  said,  Colonel 
Petrosch." 


THE   SCENT   OF   PERIL  31 1 

He  shook  his  head.  "  It  does  not  matter  now,  Mr. 
Bergwyn.  I  have  told  you  nothing — I  could  tell 
you  nothing,  of  course — that  may  not  be  openly  re- 
peated. It  is  too  late  for  anything  of  that  kind  to 
signify  now.  The  army  is  too  strong  to  be  shaken 
from  its  purpose  by  anything  that  could  happen. 
You  will  see  that  yourself  very  soon.  The  die  is 
cast." 

This  indifference  to  publicity  amazed  me  as  much 
as  anything  he  had  said  in  the  interview  and  con- 
firmed the  absorbingly  gloomy  impression  which  he 
had  created. 

I  drove  back  to  my  house  feverishly  anxious  now 
to  hear  how  Nikolitch  had  fared  with  Gatrina.  But 
he  had  not  returned  and  I  sat  eating  out  my  heart 
with  impatience  at  his  delay.  He  was  so  long  that 
I  began  to  fear  he  might  have  been  arrested  for  hav- 
ing come  to  the  city  in  defiance  of  his  orders,  and  I 
sent  Buller  at  length  to  the  Princess's  house  for  news 
of  him. 

A  line  came  back  from  him. 

"  She  is  away.    I  am  waiting  for  her  return." 

I  scribbled  a  reply  to  this. 

"  I  have  had  the  worst  confirmed.  For  God's 
sake  do  all  you  can;  "  and  this  I  sent  back  to  him  by 
Buller. 

The  suspense  of  the  time  that  followed  was  agony. 
My  alarm  for  her  took  a  hundred  crude  and  wild 
shapes  as  I  thought  of  the  peril  that  would  encircle 
her  when  the  desperate  schemes  of  the  army  were 
once  put  in  operation. 

I  was  maddening  myself  with  such  thoughts  when 


312  THE    QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

Buller  brought  me  Elma's  card.  I  sent  a  curt  mes- 
sage that  I  would  not  see  her.  I  felt  I  could  not 
trust  myself  in  that  desperate  mood. 

But  he  came  back  with  a  note. 

"  You  must  see  me.  I  have  terrible  news  affect- 
ing Gatrina's  safety." 

I  went  to  her  then.  In  such  a  cause  I  was  ready 
to  go  anywhere  and  do  anything.  She  was  more 
serious  than  I  had  seen  her  before,  and  spoke  with- 
out any  of  the  affectations  customary  with  her. 

"  There  must  be  peace  between  us,  Mr.  Bergwyn." 

"  What  have  you  come  for  ?  " 

"  Gatrina  is  in  danger  and  you  must  help  to  save 
her." 

"  What  is  your  news  ?  " 

"  A  revolution  is  imminent,  and  if  Gatrina  is  in  the 
city  when  it  breaks  out,  sflie  will  be  involved.  The 
King  has  been  told  he  must  abdicate,  and  a  conflict 
between  him  and  the  army  is  now  certain.  She  must 
be  got  to  a  place  of  safety." 

"  Why  do  you  come  to  me  ?  " 

"  Because  you  can  prevail  with  her." 

"  On  the  contrary,  you  have  made  that  impossible. 
You  know  how — by  the  false  tale  you  told  before  the 
Queen." 

"  It  can  be  contradicted.  I  will  contradict  it  if 
you  agree." 

"Agree  to  what?" 

"  To  unite  with  us  in  saving  her  to  take  the 
Throne." 

:'  You  mean  to  marry  the  Duke  Barinski?  " 

"  I  mean,  first,  to  save  her  life.     This  is  no  time 


THE   SCENT   OF  PERIL  313 

to  think  of  any  personal  ends.  She  is  necessary  to 
the  country." 

"  She  has  no  chance  of  succeeding  to  the  Throne. 
I  know  that.  I  know  what  is  to  be  done." 

"  You  can  help  us  if  you  will.  Get  her  to  trust 
herself  to  us  instead  of  to  the  Court,  and  we  will  be 
responsible  for  her  safety." 

"  How?     Another  case  of  Maglai?  " 

"  You  need  not  sneer.  I  did  not  mean  that.  She 
would  be  safe  under  the  protection  of  the  Russian 
flag." 

"  With  you  as  her  chief  adviser  and  friend.  I 
should  not  deem  that  safety;  nor  would  she." 

"  You  abandon  her  then  to  her  fate  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  counsel  her  to  play  the  part  of  cat's 
paw  for  Russia." 

"  Even  to  save  her  life  ?  " 

"  Will  you  undo  the  mischief  you  have  caused  and 
let  her  know  the  truth?  Then  I  will  act  with  you 
to  this  extent.  If  I  can,  I  will  prevail  with  her  to 
leave  the  country  for  a  time  and  from  a  position  of 
freedom,  decide  whether  to  make  this  marriage  or 
not." 

"  She  must  not  leave  the  country.  She  must  be 
here  when  the  moment  of  crisis  arrives,  and  the 
future  occupant  of  the  Throne  has  to  be  chosen.  Her 
absence  then  might  be  fatal  to  everything." 

"  Go  to  her  and  tell  her  that  all  you  said  was  un- 
true and  why  you  said  it,  and  leave  the  decision  to 
'her." 

"  You  are  still  dreaming  of  the  impossible.  I  have 
shewn  her  most  of  your  old  letters  to  me." 


314  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Then  you  had  better  tell  your  Russian  employers 
how  you  have  succeeded  in  wrecking  their  schemes." 

She  paused  in  considerable  embarrassment. 

"  You  must  have  some  other  aim,  however,"  I 
continued.  "  You  have  contradicted  yourself.  You 
said  at  first  that  I  still  had  influence  with  her:  now 
that  you  have  kept  your  word  and  broken  her  trust 
in  me;  and  yet  that  you  need  my  help.  You  will  not 
be  surprised  that  I  find  it  difficult  to  believe  you  at 
all — except  as  a  power  for  mischief  and  wrong." 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  realise  her  peril." 

"  And  you  do  not  explain  your  inconsistency." 

"  I  will  make  it  all  plain  to  her." 

"  So  that  I  may  go  to  counsel  her  to  marry  another 
man.  I  will  not." 

"  Not  even  to  save  her  life?" 

"  You  said  that  before.  I  will  find  means  to  save 
her  life,  if  it  should  be  really  in  danger." 

"  What  I  have  proposed  is  the  only  way." 

'  You  may  think  so.  I  will  find  another.  I  do 
not  trust  either  you  or  your  employers.  You  can 
help  me  by  undoing  what  you  have  done  and  telling 
her  the  truth — by  that  means  you  can  aid  in  saving 
her  life.  But  with  your  help  or  without,  I  will  find 
the  means." 

:<  You  are  very  bitter  against  me." 

"  I  speak  the  truth  and  the  truth  may  well  have  a 
bitter  sound." 

"  If  you  refuse  me,  the  responsibility  for  what  may 
occur  will  be  yours." 

"Will  you  go  to  her  and  admit  the  falsehood?" 

"  If  you  agree  to  my  terms.     Not  otherwise." 


THE   SCENT   OF  PERIL  315 

"  That  was  the  answer  I  expected,"  I  said  as  I  rose. 

She  made  a  gesture  of  impatient  dissent.  "  You 
make  things  so  difficult.  We  both  desire  the  same 
end:  the  Princess's  safety;  and  yet  you  will  not  act 
with  me  to  reach  it." 

"  You  come  to  me,  or  you  are  sent  to  me,  because 
it  is  thought  I  can  now  be  of  some  use  as  a  decoy. 
I  have  no  fancy  for  the  part.  I  do  not  trust  you  or 
those  behind  you." 

"  You  entirely  misjudge  my  motives." 

"  Very  possibly,  if  they  are  genuine.  You  have 
taught  me  not  to  expect  that;  and  I  have  learnt  the 
lesson.  That's  all  there  is  to  it.  And  now,  I  have 
no  wish  to  say  to  you  any  more  of  the  angry  things 
I  feel.  Shall  we  end  this?" 

"  Will  you  consider  what  I  have  said  and  let  me 
come  to-morrow  for  an  answer?" 

"  No.  You  have  my  answer;  and  I  have  no  wish 
to  see  you  again." 

"  How  bitter  you  can  be ! "  she  cried,  rising. 

My  only  reply  was  to  open  the  door  for  her  to 
leave. 

"Do  you  mean  to  render  me,  desperate?  You 
underestimate  my  power  to  revenge  myself.  You 
will  drive  me  to  take  a  course  which  even  I  might 
afterwards  regret.  I  am  not  yet  Gatrina's  enemy; 
but  .  .  ."a  very  angry  glance  finished  the  sen- 
tence. 

"We  shall  do  better  to  end  this,"  I  answered, 
curtly,  meeting  her  look  as  I  held  the  door  for  her. 

"  You  will  be  well  advised  for  your  own  and  her 


316  THE    QUEEN'S  'ADVOCATE 

sake  if  I  find  you  in  a  different  mood  to-morrow;" 
and  with  this  threat  she  went. 

For  her  threats  I  cared  little  enough;  and  the  only 
part  of  the  interview  which  made  any  impression 
was  the  confirmation  she  had  brought  of  the  coming 
trouble. 

I  was  thinking  this  round  when  Nikolitch  re- 
turned. 

"Well?"  I  asked  eagerly. 

He  shook  his  head.  "  I  have  done  no  good,"  he 
said. 

My  heart  fell  at  the  words.  The  last  chance  had 
failed,  and  I  knew  by  my  pang  of  disappointment 
how  much  I  had  built  upon  my  friend's  mission. 


CHAPTER   XXHI. 

A   PLAN   OF   DEFENCE. 

It  was  some  time  before  I  could  even  bring  my- 
self to  ask  Nikolitch  for  details  of  his  visit  to  Gatrina." 

"  You  saw  the  Princess?  "  I  asked  at  length. 

"  I  would  not  come  away  without.  She  had  been 
at  the  Palace,  I  think.  She  received  me  graciously 
at  first — she  does  all  things  prettily — and  listened 
while  I  warned  her  that  grave  troubles  were  coming. 
Then  something  I  said  suggested  to  her  that  I  had 
come  from  you ;  and  her  manner  changed  suddenly." 

"  It  would,  I  suppose,"  I  interjected,  bitterly. 

"  She  put  the  question  point  blank,  and  I  admitted 
it,  of  course.  Then  she  refused  to  hear  any  more. 
I  said  that  you  were  very  anxious  to  see  her ;  and  she 
got  up  and  was  for  dismissing  me  on  the  spot.  But  I 
hung  on  and  managed  to  get  out  the  contradiction  of 
the  engagement,  as  she  was  hurrying  away.  At  the 
door  she  turned,  her  face  very  pale,  her  manner  and 
tone  cold  as  ice.  '  Under  the  circumstances,  Captain 
Nikolitch,  your  presence  is  an  insult/  she  said.  And 
never  in  my  life  have  I  felt  the  lash  of  a  woman's 
tongue  more  keenly.  I  suppose  she  was  mad  you  had 
told  me  anything  of  how  matters  stood  with  you. 
I  felt  like  a  whipped  cur  as  I  stumbled  out  of  the 
room." 


3i8  THE    QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  Well,  it's  just  a  devil  of  a  mess,  that's  all,  and 
we'll  have  to  find  some  way  of  helping  her  against 
her  will." 

I  told  him  of  the  result  of  my  visit  to  Petrosch  and 
of  the  confirmation  of  the  news  from  Elma.  His 
view  of  the  outlook  was  even  darker  than  my  own; 
and  when  I  let  drop  a  hint  of  the  suggestion  which 
Elma  had  made,  he  was  disposed  to  freeze  to  it  as  the 
best  and  readiest  solution  of  the  difficulty. 

But  I  shook  my  head.  "  The  Princess  would  never 
trust  herself  to  them,"  I  said.  "  I  know  her  too  well 
to  think  that  for  a  moment." 

"  She  would  be  safe.  Other  things  would  settle 
themselves  afterwards.  The  hours  of  peril  will  be 
few,  whatever  happens;  and  when  they  are  once 
passed,  the  itch  for  violence  will  be  appeased." 

"  No,"  I  said  again.  "  I  say  no,  emphatically  no. 
If  she  believed  the  danger  were  really  so  acute,  she 
would  go  to  the  Queen  and  stand  or  fall  with  her. 
She  would  regard  it  as  cowardly  to  think  of  herself 
at  such  a  time;  and  nothing  wrould  induce  her  to  set 
foot  inside  the  Russian  Minister's  house  merely  to 
save  herself.  It  would  but  drive  her  into  greater 
peril  that  if  she  remained  in  her  own.  It  is  there 
she  must  be  protected.  Would  God  I  could  but 
learn  when  the  devilment  is  to  be  done?" 

"  I  think  I  could  learn  that.  Not  here,  of  course, 
where  if  I  were  recognised  I  should  be  clapped 
straight  away  under  arrest;  but  at  Jagodina.  They 
will  know  there." 

"  Then  for  Heaven's  sake  get  back  to  Jagodina  at 
once  and  send  me  word.  I  will  do  the  rest.  I  begin 


A   PLAN   OF   DEFENCE  319 

to  see  a  way  at  last — if  she  will  but  stay  in  her  own 
house." 

"  What  is  it?  "  he  asked  eagerly. 

"  No,  no.  Don't  stay  another  minute  in  the  city. 
Get  to  your  regiment  and  send  me  the  news  I  want. 
Just  the  time;  that's  all;  that's  all.  It  may  not  be 
safe  to  send  more;  "  and  seizing  a  time  table  I  found 
there  was  a  train  he  could  catch  at  once,  and  I  hur- 
ried him  off. 

"  My  uniform,"  he  said.    "  I'm  in  mufti." 

"  Leave  it.    It  may  be  useful." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  asked,  anxiously. 

"  If  I  don't  tell  you,  you  can't  be  compromised. 
Do  as  I  ask;  that's  all.  And  for  Heaven's  sake  be 
off  at  once." 

I  infected  him  with  a  degree  of  my  own  energy 
and  bundled  him  off  to  the  depot,  and  sent  Buller  with 
him  with  instructions  to  get  him  a  special  train  if  he 
missed  the  regular  one. 

Then  I  gave  word  that  the  instant  Karasch  ar- 
rived he  was  to  be  shewn  to  me;  it  was  close  to  the 
hour  at  which  he  was  accustomed  to  come  for  in- 
structions; and  having  done  that  I  set  to  work  to 
think  out  my  plan  as  I  ate  a  hasty  dinner. 

The  plan  was  a  very  simple  one — to  raise  im- 
mediately a  band  of  men  numerous  enough  to  protect 
Gatrina's  house  in  case  of  emergency,  and  to  find 
some  place  close  to  it  where  they  could  remain  in 
readiness  under  Karasch's  leadership. 

The  idea  took  a  more  daring  form  at  one  time, 
and  I  was  much  tempted  to  adopt  it.  It  was  to  have 
the  men  in  the  uniform  of  one  of  the  regiments  and 


320  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

to  act  the  part  of  guarding  the  house,  as  if  at  the 
army's  command;  but  the  risk  which  the  men  would 
run  if  the  thing  were  discovered  was  too  great.  I 
might  not  be  able  to  protect  them  even  with 
Petrosch's  influence ;  and  I  had,  therefore,  to  abandon 
the  notion.  But  from  it  came  another  idea  which  I 
saw  at  once  was  practicable. 

"  There  is  work  for  you  at  last,  Karasch,"  I  said 
to  him  as  soon  as  he  arrived ;  "  difficult,  and  perhaps 
dangerous ;  and  I  am  going  to  trust  to  you." 

"  I  will  do  my  best,  Excellency,  whatever  it  be,"  he 
answered,  with  his  customary  directness. 

"Ugly  things  are  going  to  occur  in  the  city;  a 
revolution  accompanied  probably  with  violence  is 
on  the  eve  of  taking  place;  and  no  one  can  say  for 
certain  what  will  or  will  not  happen.  But  it  is  very 
probable  that  the  Princess — Mademoiselle,  you  know 
— will  be  exposed  to  great  danger,  and  I  wish  you 
to  help  me  in  protecting  her.  You  will  do  this  ?  " 

"  With  my  life,  Excellency.  Of  course  you  have 
a  plan." 

"  Yes.  I  mean  you  to  get  together  a  strong  band 
of  resolute  men  to  be  instantly  available  to  form 
a  guard  round  her  house.  They  must  be  men  on 
whom  we  can  depend ;  and  we  will  pay  them  liberally. 
How  many  can  you  get?  " 

"  I  could  get  a  thousand  to  take  your  money  and 
promise;  and  I  might  find  fifty  or  less  who  might 
keep  their  promises;  and,  perhaps,  five  or  six  who 
would  be  absolutely  reliable.  It  would  depend." 

"On  what?" 

"  On   whom    Mademoiselle   had   to   be    defended 


A    PLAN   OF   DEFENCE  321 

against.  If  against  the  mob  it  would  be  easy,  but 
not  against  soldiers,  Excellency." 

"  It  will  probably  be  against  the  soldiery." 

He  shook  his  head  doubtingly.  "  It  would  be 
very  difficult,"  he  said. 

"  It  has  to  be  done,  Karasch,"  I  declared  firmly. 
"  The  Princess's  life  may  depend  upon  it." 

"  Where  twenty  men  would  face  the  sticks  and 
stones  of  a  mob,  scarce  one  of  them  would  stand 
before  the  bayonets  or  bullets  of  the  troops,  Excel- 
lency. Should  we  be  inside  the  house?  " 

"  No,  outside." 

"  Ah,"  he  exclaimed  with  another  very  grave  shake 
of  the  head. 

11  You  would  do  it?" 

"  I  am  different;  but  I  would  not  do  it  for  money. 
I  have  been  in  similar  troubles  before;  and  for  those 
who  resist  the  soldiers  at  such  times,  there  are  many 
roads  to  death  and  all  short  and  pretty  certain.  Men 
know  this,  Excellency.  Belgrade  is  not  like  the  hills 
in  the  Gravenje  district.  I  might  count  on  five  of 
six,  as  I  say;  but  what  are  they  against  the  troop? 
in  the  city?  " 

I  thought  a  moment.  "  Could  you  trust  them 
absolutely?"  I  asked. 

"  Yes;  as  you  may  trust  me.  But,  I  beg  your 
Excellency's  pardon,  why  cannot  the  Princess  re- 
move to  a  place  of  safety?  " 

"  She  will  not,  for  reasons  I  cannot  explain  to 
you.  For  one  thing  she  does  not  know  of  her  danger, 
and  will  not  believe  in  it." 


322  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Mademoiselle  has  a  strong  will,  we  know,"  he 
said,  with  a  shrug  of  his  broad  shoulders. 

"  She  has,  therefore,  to  be  saved  despite  herself. 
Stay,  I  have  it,"  I  exclaimed  as  a  thought  struck  me. 
"  You  say  these  five  or  six  men  are  to  be  relied  upon. 
Could  you  procure  half  a  dozen  uniforms  for  them  to 
wear?  " 

"  I  could  get  half  a  hundred,  but 

"  This  is  my  plan  then.  Get  the  other  men,  fifty 
or  a  hundred  of  them — as  many  as  you  can — to  be 
available  if  the  only  trouble  comes  from  the  mob. 
The  six  we  will  make  up  as  soldiers,  and  at  the  worst 
we  will  force  our  way  with  them  into  the  house  and 
bring  off  the  Princess  as  though  she  were  our 
prisoner." 

He  chewed  the  notion  for  a  moment  and  then  his 
grim  face  relaxed  into  one  of  his  rare  smiles.  "  It 
is  good,"  he  said;  and  we  set  to  work  and  threshed 
out  the  plan  in  as  much  detail  as  practicable  at  that 
stage. 

I  decided  that  the  half  dozen  men  who  with 
Karasch  and  myself  were  to  take  the  risk  of  making 
the  pretended  arrest  of  Gatrina,  should  wear  the 
uniform  of  soldiers  and  over  that  loose  civilian's 
clothes  which  could  be  easily  slipped  off  in  case  of 
need.  The  men  would  in  this  way  be  available  for 
both  parts  of  the  work  before  us;  as  civilians  to  resist 
the  mob,  or  as  soldiers  to  mislead  the  regular  troops. 

I  based  my  plans  on  the  calculation  that  in  making 
any  attempt  on  Gatrina's  house  the  troops  were  not 
likely  to  be  in  any  considerable  force.  The  move- 
ment would  be  more  in  the  nature  of  an  arrest ;  and  if 


A    PLAN    OF   DEFENCE  323 

we  could  manage  to  get  into  the  house  before  the 
soldier's  sent  to  make  the  arrest,  they  would  be  likely 
to  conclude,  if  they  saw  Gatrina  in  our  hands,  that  in 
the  confusion  some  mistake  had  been  made  in  doub- 
ling the  parties  told  off  for  the  purpose. 

1  should  be  in  command  and  should  wear  the  uni- 
form which  Nikolitch  had  left  behind  him;  and  in 
the  event  of  any  complication  arising,  I  should  have 
to  trust  to  my  wits  to  explain  it  away. 

My  intention  was  to  march  with  Gatrina  straight  to 
the  house  of  the  United  States  representative, 
where,  of  course,  she  would  be  safe.  I  knew  him 
already  for  a  man  on  whom  I  could  rely  implicitly. 

Karasch  went  off  to  find  the  men  and  was  to  return 
at  midnight  to  report  progress;  and  I  was  to  go  out 
into  the  neighbourhood  of  Gatrina's  house  to  look 
for  a  place  in  which  they  could  be  placed.  I  was 
getting  ready  when  my  eye  fell  upon  Nikolitch's  uni- 
form and  I  tried  it  on.  It  was  anything  but  com- 
fortable after  the  freedom  of  civilian's  dress;  and 
as  I  was  much  the  broader  man  of  the  two,  it  was 
an  uncommonly  bad  fit. 

But  I  had  to  get  used  to  it;  so  I  resolved  on  a  dress 
rehearsal  of  the  part,  and  throwing  on  a  long  over- 
coat, I  put  a  revolver  in  my  pocket  and  set  out  on 
my  quest,  with  Chris  in  close  attendance  at  my  heels. 

The  night  was  fine  but  moonless ;  and  as  the  streets 
of  Belgrade  were  very  badly  lighted,  there  was  not 
much  chance  of  my  being  recognised.  The  restau- 
rants and  supper  houses  were  busy  enough,  and  the 
flare  of  their  lights  streamed  across  the  streets  here 
and  there;  but  they  were  easy  to  avoid;  and  there 


324  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

were  none  of  them  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Gatrina's 
house. 

As  it  was  of  course  necessary  that  I  should  make 
myself  as  familiar  with  the  entrances  to  the  house  as 
possible,  I  had  a  good  look  at  it,  being  careful  to  keep 
well  in  shadow. 

A  massive  stone  house,  it  stood  by  itself  at  a  corner 
and  was  almost  surrounded  by  a  high  wall.  The  main 
door  let  out  on  to  a  broad  thoroughfare;  a  strong 
massive  door  with  a  deep  portico.  In  the  wall  at  the 
side  there  was  a  smaller  doorway — the  servants'  en- 
trance, I  concluded;  and  this,  also,  was  very  heavily 
and  strongly  fashioned.  All  the  lower  windows  were 
heavily  barred,  a  custom  I  had  observed  to  be  gen- 
eral in  the  large  houses  in  the  city. 

It  was  altogether  a  house  capable  of  offering  stout 
resistance  to  any  attack ;  and  I  saw  in  a  moment  that 
if  I  could  once  get  inside,  with  a  few  resolute  men,  it 
would  be  possible  to  hold  it  for  a  long  time  against 
either  mob  or  troops;  and  I  concluded  that,  in  com- 
mon with  many  others  in  the  city,  it  had  been 
strengthened  in  view  of  the  turbulent  outbreaks 
which  had  been  frequent  enough  in  Belgrade. 

The  strength  of  the  house  reassured  me  somewhat 
until  I  found  a  weak  spot.  Some  fifty  yards  along 
the  smaller  street  were  the  stables ;  and  I  remembered 
that  when  I  had  been  in  the  house  on  the  previous 
day  waiting  in  my  vain  attempt  to  see  Gatrina,  I  had 
noticed  a  newly  made  door  at  the  end  of  the  garden, 
just  at  the  point  where,  as  I  could  now  see,  it  would 
lead  to  the  stables;  while  from  the  room  where  I  had 


A    PLAN   OF   DEFENCE  325 

been  placed,  a  French  window  quite  unprotected  led 
down  a  flight  of  steps  to  the  garden  path. 

That  was  a  weak  spot  indeed.  But  if  it  would  ren- 
der the  house  open  to  attack,  it  would  also  provide 
the  means  by  which  I  could  gain  access  if  the  need 
arose. 

I  was  weighing  all  this  in  my  mind  most  earnestly 
as  I  stood  opposite  the  entrance  to  the  stable,  when 
Chris  moved  and  growled.  I  silenced  him,  laying  my 
hand  on  his  head,  and  drew  back  with  him  into  the 
deep  shadow  of  a  tree  which  stood  in  front  of  the 
portico  of  a  house,  and  listened. 

He  never  warned  me  without  cause;  and  soon  I 
caught  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps.  I  had 
no  wish  to  be  seen,  so  I  slipped  into  the  portico  and 
pressed  close  against  the  wall,  while  I  kept  watch 
on  the  newcomer.  He  came  along  at  a  quick  pace 
until  he  reached  the  stable,  when  he  paused. 

My  first  idea  was  that  he  was  a  servant  who  had 
overstayed  his  hours  of  leave  and  was  puzzling  how 
to  get  into  the  house  without  attracting  notice. 

But  I  was  wrong.  Presently  he  came  out  into  the 
roadway  and  stared  at  the  upper  windows  of  the 
house.  Then  he  went  round  to  the  front  and  again 
he  paused  and  stared  up  at  the  windows  there;  and 
apparently  not  seeing  what  he  sought — for  the  whole 
house  was  now  in  darkness — he  scratched  his  head 
as  if  in  perplexity,  and  came  sauntering  back  toward 
the  stables. 

He  was  very  slow  in  his  movements,  and  his  slow- 
ness irritated  me.  Presentely  a  light  shewed  for  an 
instant  in  one  of  the  top  windows  at  the  back,  and 


326  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

was  almost  instantly  extinguished.  This  was  re- 
peated twice,  at  short  intervals;  and  I  heard  the 
window  raised  very  cautiously. 

It  was  evidently  the  signal  for  which  the  man  in 
the  street  had  been  waiting,  for  he  whistled,  just  two 
notes  softly,  shewed  'himself  in,  the  roadway  and 
then  stepped  back  in  the  shadow  of  the  stables  and 
waited. 

A  vulgar  assignation,  I  thought  then,  not  without 
disgust;  and  I  wished  that  he  and  his  sweetheart 
would  be  quick  over  their  love-making.  It  was 
well  past  eleven.  At  midnight  I  had  to  be  back  to 
receive  Karasch's  report;  and  yet  could  not  venture 
to  be  seen. 

But  it  was  no  sweethearting.  After  some  minutes, 
a  small  door  in  the  large  stable  gate  was  opened  and 
a  man  looked  out.  I  could  see  all  that  passed  by  the 
light  of  a  lamp  over  the  gates.  The  two  whispered 
together  a  moment;  and  then  the  man  from  the 
house  came  out,  turned  the  key  in  the  lock,  and  put 
it  in  his  pocket. 

They  both  crossed  the  road  toward  where  I  stood, 
and  I  pressed  yet  closer  against  the  wall  and  kept  my 
hand  on  Chris's  head  lest  by  a  sound  he  should  betray 
our  presence.  They  did  not  enter  the  portico,  but 
stood  in  the  shadow  of  the  tree  where  I  had  first  con- 
cealed myself. 

"  This  will  do,"  I  heard  one  of  them  say;  and  then 
strain  my  ears  as  I  would  I  could  not  catch  any  other 
than  isolated  words.  But  they  were  enough  to  set 
me  on  fire.  "Army,"  "Arrest,"  "Three  hours," 
"  Yes,  two  o'clock — "  this  was  louder  and  in  an  im- 


A   PLAN   OF   DEFENCE  327 

patient  tone.  After  that  there  was  a  chink  of  money 
passing;  and  then  silence.  It  lasted  so  long  that, 
unable  to  contain  myself,  I  peered  out  cautiously  and 
looked  at  them. 

The  man  who  had  come  from  the  house  was  count- 
ing a  quantity  of  paper  money,  and  trying  to  read 
the  value  of  each  bill  by  the  flicker  of  the  lamp  across 
the  road.  It  was  a  tedious  business;  and  his  com- 
panion whispered  something  to  him  and  they  both 
walked  away  along  the  street. 

My  first  inclination  was  to  follow  them  at  once 
and  force  an  explanation;  but  I  checked  the  impulse. 
I  resolved  to  wait  for  the  return  of  the  servant.  He 
was  sure  to  come  back,  if  I  read  the  thing  aright.  I 
could  deal  with  him  alone  much  more  satisfactorily. 

I  took  Chris  across  to  the  stable  gates  and  making 
him  understand  that  he  was  on  guard  and  must  let 
no  one  pass  in,  I  returned  to  my  hiding-place. 

The  minutes  were  leaden  as  I  stood  waiting.  The 
man  was  so  long  away  that  I  began  to  fear  I  had 
blundered  and  to  regret  I  had  not  acted  on  the  im- 
pulse to  follow  the  two. 

But  he  came  at  length  hurrying  from  the  opposite 
direction ;  and  he  glanced  up  at  the  house  windows  as 
he  passed,  with  a  gesture  of  uneasiness.  When  he 
reached  the  stable  gates,  Chris  received  him  with 
a  low  growl,  and  he  started  back  in  some  dismay  at 
the  most  unexpected  interruption. 

He  was  trying  to  pacify  the  dog  with  a  little  coax- 
ing when  I  crossed  to  him  and,  assuming  a  tone  of 
authority,  asked,  at  a  venture :  "  You  have  seen  the 
sergeant?  Why  have  you  been  so  long?" 


328  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

He  was  obviously  in  much  perplexity  and  some 
fear,  and  glanced  from  Chris  to  me.  The  good  dog 
looked  formidable  enough  to  have  frightened  a 
braver  man. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  he  asked. 

I  threw  back  my  long  coat  and  shewed  my  uni- 
form. 

"  The  plan  is  changed.  You  are  to  come  with  me. 
We  can't  trust  you  out  of  sight  again." 

He  glanced  round  as  if  meditating  flight. 

"  The  dog  will  pull  you  down  if  you  move,"  I  said, 
sternly. 

"  I  must  get  in,"  he  murmured.  "  I  shall  keep  my 
word." 

"  Did  you  hear  what  I  ordered  you  ?  "  I  rapped 
back  with  an  oath.  "  Come,"  and  I  linked  my  arm  in 
his  to  drag  him  away.  He  resisted  at  first;  but  at 
a  word  from  me  Chris  shewed  his  fangs  and  snarled 
so  angrily  that  no  resistance  was  left  in  him.  I  let 
go  his  arm  then.  "  A  false  step  or  a  single  word,  and 
the  dog's  fangs  will  close  on  your  throat,"  I  mut- 
tered fiercely. 

He  came  then,  keeping  pace  anxiously  with  my 
quick  stride  and  glancing  ever  and  again  over  his 
shoulder  at  Chris  who  stalked  behind  him  like  a 
black  shadow. 

I  got  him  to  my  house  without  trouble;  for  the 
streets  were  now  all  but  deserted,  and  I  chose  a  way 
which  avoided  the  main  roads. 

I  led  him  into  my  study,  taking  Chris  with  me, 
and  then  turned  a  lamp  full  on  his  face.  Then  I  drew 
my  revolver  and  held  it  in  his  full  view  as  I  considered 


A    PLAN   OF   DEFENCE  329 

how  best  to  question  him,  so  as  to  get  the  truth  out 
of  him. 

It  was  a  vital  matter,  and  they  were  anxious  mo- 
ments; for  upon  his  answers  Gatrina's  life  might  de- 
pend. 

He  found  them  anxious,  too.  I  could  see  that  by 
his  pallor,  the  nervous  twitchings  of  hands  and  fea- 
tures, the  sweat  that  stood  on  his  swarthy  forehead, 
and  the  wild  look  on  his  fear-filled  eyes. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

THE    NIGHT    OF    TERROR. 

The  fear  which  my  prisoner  displayed  led  me  to 
prolong  the  interval  before  I  questioned  him.  It  was 
essential  for  my  purpose  that  he  should  be  thoroughly 
frightened ;  and  the  suspense  was  enough  to  try  much 
stouter  nerves  than  his.  I  let  him  have  some  two 
or  three  minutes,  therefore,  so  that  his  fears  should 
have  full  scope;  and  just  as  my  first  question  was 
on  my  lips,  a  happy  thought  occurred  to  me.  I  saw 
that  I  could  make  valuable  use  of  the  Russian  reputa- 
tion for  doing  ugly  things. 

He  was  more  likely  to  fear  the  Russians  than  any 
other  party  concerned;  and  if  I  could  make  him  be- 
lieve he  had  now  fallen  into  their  hands,  he  would 
be  far  more  likely  to  answer  my  questions  than  if  I 
played  the  more  difficult  part  of  an  army  officer, 
believing  him  false  to  the  army. 

"  Stand  over  there,"  I  cried,  sternly  and  suddenly 
in  Russian,  pointing  to  the  wall ;  and  the  start  he 
gave  at  hearing  the  unwelcome  language,  proved  to 
me  that  I  was  right.  He  moved  to  where  I  pointed, 
his  eyes  on  me  all  the  time.  "  Attempt  to  move  and 
the  dog  will  be  on  you,"  I  added,  as  brutally  and 
coarsely  as  I  could. 

Then  I  rang  the  bell,  and  when  Buller  came  I  said 
in  Russian :  "  Tell  General  Minzkoff  I  have  the  priso- 


THE   NIGHT    OF    TERROR  331 

tier  and  am  questioning  him."  But  Buller  didn't 
understand  Russian  and  stood  staring  at  me  in  hesita- 
tion what  to  do ;  so  to  give  the  thing  colour,  I  jumped 
up,  swore  vigorously,  and,  as  if  in  a  paroxysm  of 
rage,  thrust  him  violently  out  of  the  room,  pretend- 
ing to  kick  him,  as  I  shouted :  "  Do  as  I  say  at  once." 

I  flung  myself  back  in  my  seat  only  to  jump  up 
again  and,  as  though  I  had  forgotten  something  rush 
out  of  the  room  after  Buller.  I  explained  matters, 
and  told  him  to  find  a  servant  who  could  speak  Rus- 
sian and  send  him  to  me  to  say  that  "  I  was  to  see 
General  Minzkoff  with  my  report  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible." 

This  particular  Russian  officer  had  just  the  reputa- 
tion for  violence  that  was  certain  to  impress  the  spy ; 
and  the  more  bullying  and  brutal  I  could  make  my 
manner,  the  more  characteristic  would  it  be  of  the 
general's  agents. 

"  You  speak  my  language?  "  I  jerked  out  in  Rus- 
sian. 

"  I  understand  it  a  little,"  he  answered  with  diffi- 
culty. 

"  Then  we'll  use  your  own  cursed  tongue,"  I  said 
in  Serb.  "  I  have  no  time  to  waste  over  you,  so 
if  you  don't  answer  plainly  I'll  find  means  to  make 
you.  How  much  money  did  that  soldier  give  you 
just  now?  " 

He  started  at  finding  I  knew  this  and  looked  about 
for  a  lie.  "  Money?  I  don't  understand  your  Excel- 
lency." 

"  It's  in  that  pocket."  I  pointed  to  where  I  had 
seen  him  place  it.  "  Take  it  out,  you  lying  dog. 


332  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

Quick,"  I  thundered,  as  he  still  hesitated.  "  I  know 
everything." 

Slowly,  for  it  cost  him  a  pang  to  part  with  it,  he 
drew  out  the  bundle  of  bills.  "  It  is  my  own,"  he 
faltered. 

"  The  gold,  too.     Quick." 

Again  he  trembled,  but  dared  not  refuse.  I  had  now 
impressed  upon  him  that  I  knew  his  secrets. 

'"  Put  it  there,"  I  said,  pointing  to  a  chair.  "  Now, 
I'll  test  your  power  of  speaking  the  truth.  What  was 
that  money  paid  for?" 

He  stared  at  me  in  a  sweat  of  fear,  trying  to 
moisten  his  parched  lips  with  a  tongue  as  dry  as 
leather,  wishing  to  lie  but  yet  afraid;  and  in  his 
fright  unable  to  coin  a  plausible  tale. 

"  It  was  money — owing  to  me,"  he  stammered. 

I  paused  a  moment  to  let  him  hope  the  lie  had  im- 
posed upon  me ;  and  then  pointed  to  the  bell.  "  If 
that  bell  is  rung  it  will  bring  my  men  here  with  the 
means  you  may  have  heard  we  use  to  make  prisoners 
speak  the  truth.  Go  and  ring  it  now — or  tell  me  the 
truth  of  your  own  accord." 

It  was  a  touch  of  refined  cruelty  eloquent  of  Rus- 
sian methods  to  make  him  summon  his  own  tortur- 
ers; and  it  did  much  to  carry  conviction  now. 

"  I  don't  wish  to  deceive  your  Excellency,"  he  mur- 
mured. 

"  Is  that  why  you  want  me  to  believe  that  when  a 
man  owes  you  money  he  comes  in  the  dead  of  night 
to  pay  it  after  waiting  for  your  signals  from  the 
house — 'the  light  three  times  flashed.  You  lying 
cur.  Ring  that  bell — I  have  no  more  time  to  waste." 


THE   NIGHT    OF    TERROR  333 

"  You  won't  torture  me?  "  he  cried,  in  anguish. 

"  Ring  that  bell,"  I  thundered.  "  It  pleases  me  for 
you  yourself  to  call  your  torturers; "  and  I  laughed, 
as  if  the  grim  joke  were  really  to  my  taste. 

Down  he  went  on  his  knees.  "  Not  the  torture, 
Excellency.  Not  the  torture.  For  God's  sake,  not 
that." 

"  You've  had  a  taste  of  it  before,  eh  ?  "  I  said,  with 
another  grin,  feeling  an  awful  beast  as  I  did  it.  "  You 
can  choose — the  torture  or  the  truth  of  your  own 
will." 

"  My  God!  "  he  exclaimed,  covering  his  white  face 
and  writhing;  and  then  the  truth  came  slowly  and 
with  labour,  as  he  thought  how  little  he  dared  to 
tell  and  yet  save  his  skin.  "  It  was  for  my  mistress's 
sake — the  Princess.  We  were  all  afraid  in  the  house 
because  we  are  so  weak.  I  had  arranged  to  let  some 
soldiers  in  to  protect  us  all." 

"  You  must  do  better  than  that,  dog.  Try  again," 
I  sneered,  coarsely.  "  Men  don't  pay  you  to  come 
and  protect  you.  You'll  have  to  lie  better  than  that 
to  convince  me."  Then  I  changed  the  sneer  to  a 
tone  of  anger.  "  I'll  have  no  more  of  this;  the  truth, 
or — "  and  I  laid  my  hand  on  the  bell. 

At  that  moment  the  man  Buller  had  sent  with  the 
message  in  Russian  came  in  and  delivered  it. 

"Very  good,"  I  said  to  him;  and  added:  "Tell 
black  Ivan  and  Loris  to  come  the  instant  I  ring.  I 
find  I  shall  need  them.  They  know  what  to  bring 
with  them." 

The  bluff  worked.  I  saw  that  the  instant  the  serv- 
ant left  the  room. 


334  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"I'll  give  you  one  minute;  no  more,"  I  declared. 

"  I'll  tell  your  Excellency  all  I  know,"  he  stam- 
mered at  once.  "  I  was  paid  to  let  the  soldiers  into 
the  house  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

"  For  what  purpose?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that." 

"  For  what  purpose?  "  I  repeated  sternly. 

"  They  wouldn't  tell  me." 

At  that  I  appeared  to  fly  into  a  passion.  I  seized 
the  revolver  and  going  up  to  him  clapped  it  to  his 
head. 

"  Answer  me,  or  I'll  scatter  your  brains  here  on 
the  floor." 

He  shrank  and  groaned  as  he  felt  the  cold  steel  on 
his  forehead. 

"  To  arrest  the  Princess,  Excellency.  Oh,  my  God, 
my  God,"  he  cried  and  burst  into  tears. 

I  went  back  to  my  seat.  "  You  are  a  faithful  serv- 
ant to  your  mistress.  Do  you  know  what's  going  to 
happen  to-night — the  night  you've  chosen  for  this 
infamy?  " 

"  N — no.  Yes,"  he  changed  his  words  almost 
eagerly  as  he  caught  my  eye. 

"  Give  it  words  then." 

"  They  told  me  it  was  for  her  safety,  Excellency. 
They  did,  they  did,  I  swear  they  did,  on  my  soul. 
When  the  King  and  Queen  and  the  others  are  taken 
from  the  Palace,  the  Princess  would  be  in  danger  in 
her  house,  and  they  mean  to  put  her  in  a  place  of 
safety." 

This  was  news,  indeed ;  and  in  my  consternation  at 
hearing  it,  this  coward  and  his  treachery  became  of 


THE   NIGHT   OF   TERROR  335 

little  importance.  I  did  not  doubt  he  was  speaking 
the  truth  about  that,  whatever  his  own  motives  may 
have  been  for  his  act.  And  then  a  plan  occurred  to 
me. 

How  many  men  were  to  carry  out  the  arrest  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know — only  a  few ;  four  or  five  at  most, 
we  have  no  means  of  resisting  them  in  the  house." 

"  You  are  to  let  them  in  by  the  stable  door?  " 

"  Yes,  Excellency,  at  two  o'clock.  They  could 
force  their  way  in  even  without  my  help." 

I  paid  no  heed  to  his  attempt  at  exculpation. 
"  What  is  your  name  ?  The  name  they  know  you 
by?" 

"  Michel." 

"  How  many  men  servants  are  in  the  house?  " 

"  Two  besides  myself.  Two  are  away,  Excellency." 

"Anyone  sleeping  in  the  stables?" 

"  No  one,  Excellency." 

"  Any  of  the  others  know  of  your  plan  ?  " 

"No,  Excellency." 

''  You  have  the  key  of  that  stable  door.  Give  it 
me." 

He  handed  it  over  with  a  deep  sigh. 

"  You  have  saved  your  skin,"  I  said  curtly ;  "  but 
you  must  remain  here.  You  will  be  safe,  if  you  make 
no  effort  to  resist.  If  you  do  that,  I  shall  leave  orders 
that  you  are  to  be  shot."  I  said  this  much  as  though 
it  were  my  daily  custom  to  catch  men  and  murder 
them ;  and  the  very  tone  I  used  added  to  his  fears. 

I  left  him  a  minute  in  the  care  of  Chris;  and 
as  Karasch  had  arrived  I  told'  him  to  have  the  man 


336  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

bound  and  locked  up  in  one  of  the  many  vaults  in  the 
basement  of  the  house. 

I  was  glad  to  be  relieved  of  his  presence,  and  then 
set  to  work  to  carry  out  the  scheme  which  his  story 
had  suggested.  When  Karasch  came  back  I  told  him 
what  I  had  learnt  and  asked  him  how  he  had  fared. 

"  Except  the  handful  of  men  on  whom  I  knew  I 
could  trust,  I  have  done  little,"  he  said. 

"  They  may  be  enough  for  my  altered  plans.  Can 
you  get  them  to  night,  and  above  all  can  you  get  uni- 
forms for  them  ?  " 

"  I  fear  not,  Excellency.    It  is  past  midnight." 

"  Get  the  men  then.     I'll  find  uniforms  for  them." 

"  My  plan  is  to  go  to  the  Princess's  house  at  once ; 
to  wait  for  the  men  who  are  coming  to  arrest  her; 
make  them  prisoners  and  then  play  their  part.  They 
will  be  able  to  provide  us  with  the  costumes,"  I  added, 
smiling  grimly. 

"  It  is  very  dangerous,"  was  his  comment. 

"  You  mean  for  them?    Yes,  it  will  be. 

"  I  mean  for  you,  and  all  of  us." 

"  If  anyone  is  afraid,  let  him  stay  away.  I  can  go 
alone.  It  is  no  work  for  children,  of  course,"  I  ex- 
claimed, impetuously. 

"  Have  I  deserved  that  frqm  your  Excellency?  " 

"  No,  Karasch ;  I  know  you  haven't.  I  am  ex- 
cited." 

"  Tell  me  what  has  to  be  done ;  and  I  will  do  it," 
he  said,  simply;  and  then  we  discussed  very  hur- 
riedly the  plan  and  completed  the  preparations  which 
had  to  be  made. 

I  told  him  to  meet  me  near  the  Princess's  house 


THE   NIGHT   OF    TERROR  337 

with  as  many  of  the  men  as  he  could  get  together, 
and  to  bring  with  him  a  few  lengths  of  stout  cord 
for  binding  the  soldiers  we  hoped  to  capture.  That 
made  clear  I  packed  him  off  to  hunt  up  his  men. 

It  was  a  desperate  step  I  had  resolved  to  take,  and 
the  penalty  of  failure  would  probably  be  serious.  I 
realised  that  to  the  full;  but  on  the  other  hand,  I 
could  see  no  other  means  of  gaining  my  end. 

If  Gatrina  would  have  listened  to  me,  the  course 
would  have  been  simple  enough.  I  could  have  given 
her  warning  of  her  danger  and  have  removed  her  to 
a  place  of  safety.  But  she  would  not  let  me  approach 
her  nor  admit  there  was  anything  perilous  to  her 
in  the  situation.  Thus,  if  I  was  to  save  her  it  must 
be  done  against  her  knowledge  and  almost  against 
her  will. 

I  left  my  house  about  half  an  hour  after  midnight, 
having  appointed  with  Karasch  to  be  at  the  Princess's 
by  half  past  one,  or  as  near  to  that  hour  as  he  could 
reach  there.  In  no  event  was  he  to  be  later  than  a 
quarter  to  two,  even  if  he  had  to  come  alone. 

Having  ample  time,  I  resolved  to  make  a  detour 
and  see  if  any  movements  were  going  on  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Palace.  With  Chris  close  at 
my  heels  I  walked  at  a  rapid  pace,  choosing  the  most 
unfrequented  ways  I  could  find. 

The  whole  city  appeared  sunk  in  the  slumber  of 
unsuspecting  security.  Scarcely  a  light  glimmered 
in  any  one  of  the  houses.  The  streets  were  deserted, 
and  the  only  sounds  to  disturb  the  quietude  were 
those  of  my  own  footsteps.  If  the  army  were  really 
going  to  move  that  night,  they  must  have  kept  their 


338  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

intentions  entirely  secret  from  all  who  were  not  con- 
cerned in  their  work. 

One  o'clock  was  chimed  as  I  came  in  view  of  the 
Palace;  and  save  for  the  sentries  pacing  their  rounds 
with  mechanical  steps,  not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen.  The 
Palace  itself  was  wrapped  in  comparative  darkness, 
the  inmates  secure  in  their  belief  in  the  fidelity  and 
watchfulness  of  their  guards. 

There  was  absolutely  nothing  to  suggest  that  a  vio- 
lent outbreak  was  on  the  very  eve  of  consummation ; 
and  that  a  deed  of  horror  was  in  the  making,  the 
shame  of  which  would  before  morning  spread  to  the 
uttermost  confines  of  the  civilised  world,  to  set  men 
seeking  its  parallel  in  the  darkest  epochs  of  history. 

I  turned  from  the  Palace,  indeed,  hoping  and  more 
than  half  convinced  that  the  spy  had  been  misled,  and 
that  if  the  army  really  nurtured  thoughts  of  force, 
their  plans  were  not  yet  matured.  I  was  intensely  re- 
lieved by  this  apparent  dissipation  of  my  gloomy 
fears  and  at  the  same  time  profoundly  perplexed  as 
to  my  own  course. 

If  1  forced  my  way  in  the  dead  of  night  into  Gatri- 
na's  house  and  nothing  occurred  to  justify  my  act, 
discovery  would  overwhelm  me  with  both  confusion 
and  shame.  In  her  eyes  I  should  not  only  look  like 
a  rash,  intermeddling  fool,  but  my  conduct  would  be 
open  to  a  thousand  misinterpretations,  all  ominous 
and  all  ruinous  to  my  hopes. 

But  I  was  not  long  to  be  a  prey  to  these  distract- 
ing doubts.  On  leaving  the  Palace  I  hurried  toward 
one  of  the  barracks ;  and  then,  all  suddenly,  on  turn- 
ing the  corner  of  one  of  the  main  streets,  I  heard  the 


THE   NIGHT   OF    TERROR  339 

measured  tramp  of  many  feet;  and  had  just  time  to 
conceal  myself  in  the  gateway  of  a  house,  when  a 
large  body  of  troops  passed  me,  marching  in  dead 
silence. 

They  numbered  some  hundreds,  marching  straight 
on  the  Palace ;  and  I  knew  then,  indeed,  that  trouble 
was  abroad  and  that  my  worst  forebodings  were  to  be 
realised. 

The  night  of  terror  for  Belgrade  had  come;  and 
when  I  saw  the  strength  of  the  force  and  thought  of 
Gatrina,  my  heart  sank  within  me  at  the  paltry  effort 
I  was  about  to  make  to  secure  her  safety.  My  plan 
seemed  so  puny,  so  less  than  weak,  so  hopeless  in 
the  face  of  this  overawing  display  of  force,  that  I 
could  have  gnashed  my  teeth  in  despair. 

I  gazed  after  £he  troops,  when  they  had  passed, 
like  a  fool  bereft  of  his  wits  by  fear,  until  a  sound 
broke  and  roused  me  from  my  lethargy. 

The  sound  was  that  of  gunshots  in  the  direction 
of  the  Palace.  I  guessed  that  the  stern  band  had 
met  with  some  opposition  from  the  guard,  and  that 
the  deadly  work  on  which  they  were  bent  had  already 
commenced.  They  had  staked  their  lives  on  the 
issue;  and  even  thus  early,  some  had  paid  the  forfeit. 

It  was  just  the  spur  my  sluggish  wits  needed  and 
I  slipped  from  my  hiding-place  and  ran  at  utmost 
speed  in  the  direction  of  Gatrina's  house.  It  was 
nearly  a  quarter  to  two  when  I  reached  it,  to  find 
with  intense  satisfaction  that  all  was  still  quiet  there 
and  that  Karasch  had  arrived  and  was  awaiting  me 
with  four  companions. 

Taking  the  utmost  precaution  to  make  sure  we 


340  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

were  unobserved,  I  unlocked  the  little  door  in  the 
stable  gates  and  we  entered.  Locking  it  behind  me, 
and  leaving  the  men  at  the  end  near  the  stable  under 
the  shadow  of  some  trees,  Karasch  and  I  stole  up  the 
garden  to  the  house,  and  found  the  unlocked  door 
by  which  the  spy  had  left. 

The  time  was  so  short  before  we  were  to  look  for 
the  coming  of  the  soldiers  that  not  a  moment  was 
to  be  lost  in  finding  a  place  where  we  could  carry  out 
the  plan  of  capture.  Karasch,  most  thoughtfully, 
had  brought  a  lantern  with  him,  and  stealing  noise- 
lessly through  the  passages,  we  explored  the  whole 
of  the  underpart  of  the  house;  and  I  decided  upon 
two  large  cellars  and  explained  to  him  hurriedly  how 
to  act. 

We  would  let  the  men  in  two  at  a  time,  Karasch 
guiding  one,  I  the  other;  and  lead  them  each  to  a 
different  cellar,  where  we  would  overpower  and  bind 
them.  All  would  be  in  darkness  on  the  plea  that 
suspicion  had  been  aroused  in  the  house  and  any 
light  would  be  dangerous;  and  as  each  man  entered 
the  cellar  he  would  be  seized. 

He  fetched  the  men  and  by  the  light  of  the  lantern 
I  had  a  good  look  at  each.  They  were  a  sturdy, 
resolute  lot;  and  when  we  explained  the  work  to  be 
done,  they  seemed  to  enter  into  it  with  willingness 
and  determination. 

The  traps  were  in  readiness  before  the  hour  struck, 
and  Karasch  and  I  went  out  again  to  the  stable  gate 
to  wait  for  the  soldiers. 

We  stood  in  deep  shadow  and  I  then  told  him 
what  I  had  seen  in  the  streets  and  of  the  firing  I  had 
heard  at  the  Palace. 


THE   NIGHT   OF    TERROR  341 

"  The  city  will  soon  wake,"  he  muttered.  "  And 
if  the  people  side  with  the  troops,  as  I  believe  they 
will,  we  shall  soon  have  the  mob  here." 

"  It  will  at  least  convince  the  Princess  of  the  need 
to  fly."  I  sought  hard  to  persuade  myself  of  this; 
for  my  chief  fear  was  that  Gatrina  herself  would  yet 
prove  the  greatest  difficulty. 

We  stood  in  silence  for  many  minutes  and  now 
and  again  the  sound  of  hurrying  footsteps  without 
told  us  that  the  news  of  the  doings  at  the  Palace  was 
spreading  and  that  the  people  were  scurrying  to 
learn  what  was  going  forward. 

"  They  are  late,"  muttered  Karasch,  impatiently, 
more  than  once;  and  then:  "They  are  coming,"  he 
declared,  as  his  quick  ear  caught  the  sound  of  slower 
footsteps  before  I  heard  anything. 

I  soon  heard  them,  however.  They  halted  out- 
side the  gates;  and  some  one  knocked.  I  opened 
the  little  door  a  couple  of  inches  and  peered  through. 

There  were  six  of  them  only. 

"  Is  that  you,  Michel  ?  "  came  a  whisper. 

"  Hsh.     Yes.     How  many  are  there  of  you?" 

"  Six." 

"  There  is  danger.  I  am  suspected.  You  must 
enter  two  at  a  time.  I  daren't  let  you  all  pass  to- 
gether through  the  garden.  Cautiously,  my  friend, 
cautiously,"  I  said,  as  someone  tried  to  force  the 
door. 

A  consultation  was  held  and  the  man  who  had 
spoken  to  me  explained  to  the  rest  what  I  had  said. 
Some  difficulty  was  raised  by  one  of  the  soldiers ;  but 
I  got  my  way. 


342  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

Two  men  slipped  through  the  door  as  I  held  it; 
and  the  instant  the  second  was  through,  I  locked  it 
behind  him. 

"  Follow  us,"  I  said,  not  giving  either  of  them 
time  to  see  my  face;  and  we  led  them  to  the  house. 
"  Give  me  your  hand,"  I  told  the  man  with  me.  We 
daren't  have  a  light,  and  the  place  is  pitch  dark." 

He  suspected  nothing  and  I  led  him  into  the  cellar, 
clapping  my  hand  on  his  mouth  as  he  entered,  while 
the  two  men  in  waiting  seized  him  and  in  less  than 
a  minute  he  lay  bound  and  gagged.  The  other  had 
been  dealt  with  in  the  same  way. 

Karasch  and  I  went  back  to  the  stables;  but  the 
time  occupied,  swiftly  as  we  had  acted,  had  roused 
some  kind  of  suspicion;  and  when  I  opened  the  little 
door,  one  of  the  men  thrust  the  butt  of  his  musket 
in  the  way  and  despite  my  strenuous  efforts,  before  I 
could  close  it  all  four  had  forced  themselves  through. 

"  We'll  go  in  together,  my  man,"  said  one  of  them, 
linking  his  arm  in  mine  and  holding  me  firmly.  An- 
other man  did  the  same  to  Karasch. 

It  spelt  crisis;  and  for  a  moment  or  two  I  breathed 
hard.  My  fingers  closed  round  my  revolver,  and  his 
life  hung  by  a  much  thinner  thread  than  he  dreamt. 

I  stood  fighting  with  the  impulse  and  thus  the 
chance  passed. 

"  See  if  he's  armed,"  cried  the  soldier,  and  his  com- 
panion plunged  a  hand  into  my  pocket  and  wrenched 
my  weapon  roughly  from  me.  Karasch  was  served 
in  the  same  way;  and  from  the  confidence  of  success 
we  were  thus  suddenly  brought  face  to  face  with 
the  threat  of  disastrous  failure. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

IN  GATRINA'S  HOUSE. 

In  the  moment  of  crisis  Karasch  took  his  cue  from 
me  and  neither  resisted  nor  protested  against  the 
soldiers'  conduct.  I  knew,  however,  that  he  would 
watch  me  closely  and  be  prepared  to  help  the  mo- 
ment I  had  decided  what  to  do. 

"  I  don't  know  why  you've  done  this,"  I  said  to 
the  man  who  held  me  and  had  given  the  orders.  "  I 
kept  faith  with  you  and  you  arrest  me  in  return  for 
it."  I  was  on  fire  with  anxiety,  but  I  spoke  coolly. 

"  We  can  do  without  you  now;  and  mean  to  see 
you  give  no  trouble,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Very  well;  but  if  you  cross  the  garden  in  a  body 
like  this,  there'll  be  no  call  for  me  to  give  it  you; 
you'll  find  it  for  yourself.  You'll  be  seen;  the  alarm 
will  be  given,  and  you  may  look  out  for  resistance." 

"  Who  is  there  to  resist,  fool-head  ?  There  are 
only  three  men  in  the  house,  and  we've  got  two  of 
you  here,"  he  growled  with  a  chuckle  at  his  own 
cunning.  "  You  come  with  us  to  the  house ;  that's 
all  you've  got  to  do;  and  come  quietly,  or  maybe 
you  won't  reach  it.  This  is  the  army's  night,  and 
we're  not  in  a  mood  to  be  soft  to  those  who  resist 
us." 

With  that  we  moved  on  along  the  garden  and  I 
was  in  a  fever  of  apprehension  lest  we  should  be  seen 
by  someone  in  the  house.  But  the  inmates  were  ap- 


344  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

parently  fast  asleep,  and  we  reached  the  entrance 
without  being-  observed. 

This  increased  my  captors'  suspicions. 

"  I  thought  your  caution  was  overdone,  friend 
spy,"  he  said. 

"  Then  you're  a  fool,"  I  answered,  bluntly. 
"  There's  a  dog  about  and  if  he  scents  you,  he'll  soon 
let  everyone  know.  You'd  better  let  me  keep  him 
quiet."  I  had  told  Chris  to  stay,  and  knew  he  would 
remain  till  1"  called  him. 

We  had  entered  the  house  then  and  stood  in  the 
broad,  stone-flagged  passage;  and  I  spoke  loud 
enough  to  warn  our  men  in  the  cellars  beyond.  I 
and  the  two  men  holding  me  were  in  advance  and 
Karasch  and  the  others  close  behind. 

"  You  hold  your  tongue.  I'm  in  command  here," 
said  the  soldier  in  a  bullying  tone. 

"  You've  made  prisoners  of  us;  so  you  must  do 
as  you  will.  But  I  won't  stand  this  treatment." 

"  Where  are  my  two  men?  " 

"  I  left  them  close  here.  I  suppose  they've  gone 
on  into  the  house." 

"  It's  as  dark  as  hell,"  growled  the  fellow.  "  Can 
you  see  anything,  Andreas  ?  "  he  asked  his  com- 
panion. 

"  Nothing  but  the  dark,"  was  the  answer  with  an 
oath. 

"  You  can  get  a  light  in  the  room  first  door  to  the 
right,"  I  said.  This  was  where  I  had  left  Chris,  and 
if  he  went  to  it  I  knew  the  dog  would  put  him  out  of 
the  reckoning.  But  he  smelt  a  trick  and  would  not. 

"  No,  thank  you,  Mr.  Spy.     Where  we  go,  you 


/AT   GATRINA'S   HOUSE  345 

come  too.  I  can't  make  out  where  the  devil  the 
others  are.  What  does  it  mean?  "  and  he  called  the 
men  by  name. 

"  Hadn't  you  better  ring  the  alarm  bell,  while 
you're  about  it  ?  "  I  sneered.  "  You'll  rouse  every- 
one more  quickly. 

"  Curse  the  dark.  Lead  to  where  I  can  get  a 
light,"  he  muttered.  "  No  tricks,  mind,  or  you'll 
regret  it." 

His  grip  tightened  on  my  arm  and  we  moved  for- 
ward abreast.  But  the  door  was  too  narrow  to  ad- 
mit us  all  at  once  and  he  entered  the  room  first. 

"  Seize  him,  Chris,"  I  said  in  English;  and  out  of 
the  gloom  the  huge  black  form  sprang  at  him  with 
a  fierce  growl.  In  his  consternation  the  soldier 
loosed  his  hold  of  me  to  battle  with  the  dog,  and 
in  a  moment  my  hand  was  on  his  companion's  throat, 
while  I  called  to  the  men  in  the  cellars  to  go  to  the 
help  of  Karasch  who  was  now  fighting  and  strug- 
gling with  his  two  guards. 

We  were  six  to  three,  for  Chris  kept  the  leader 
busy;  and  the  desperate  struggle  in  the  darkness 
was  soon  over.  The  soldiers  fought  gamely  enough; 
but  they  had  no  chance  against  such  odds.  We  over- 
powered them,  but  it  was  not  until  some  hard  blows 
had  been  given  and  taken  on  both  sides. 

I  was  most  afraid  for  the  man  whom  Chris  had  at- 
tacked; but  when  I  went  to  him  was  relieved  to  find 
that  no  serious  harm  had  been  done.  He  was  ter- 
ribly frightened;  as  well  might  be,  for  Chris  was  an 
antagonist  few  men  would  care  to  fight.  But  having 
got  him  down  the  good  dog  had  not  mauled  him. 


346  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

The  soldier  lay  flat  on  the  ground,  with  Chris  stand- 
ing guard  over  him  and  growling  fiercely  whenever 
the  man  made  the  slightest  movement. 

"  Call  this  brute  off  for  God's  sake,"  he  said,  in  a 
frightened  voice  as  I  approached,  lantern  in  hand.  I 
was  glad  to  hear  him  speak. 

"  It  serves  you  right  for  the  trick  you  played  me," 
I  answered.  "Are  you  hurt?"  and  I  called  Chris 
away. 

"  I  thought  he'd  kill  me." 

"  Wouldn't  have  been  much  loss  if  he  had,"  said 
I,  as  he  sat  up  and  began  to  feel  himself  all  over. 
"  I'd  like  to  shoot  the  brute.  What  does  this  all 
mean  ?  " 

"  That  you're  my  prisoner  instead  of  my  being 
yours.  If  you  have  any  weapons  put  'em  out — or 
I'll  let  the  dog  find  them." 

He  glanced  round  fearsomely  at  Chris,  who 
snarled. 

"  I  have  none." 

"  Then  we'll  tie  you  up  like  the  rest  of  your  men," 
I  answered;  and  tied  up  he  was.  "  I  shall  leave  you 
here,"  I  told  him.  "  The  dog  will  be  on  watch  if 
you  try  any  tricks;  and  you  know  whether  you  want 
another  round  with  him. 

Our  victory  was  complete ;  and  it  remained  to  see 
how  we  should  use  it.  Karasch  and  the  others  set 
to  work  to  take  the  soldiers'  uniforms  and  put  them 
on,  while  I  tried  to  think  what  step  to  take  next. 
I  was  in  possession  of  the  house;  but  it  seemed  as  if 
the  real  difficulties  of  the  business  were  only  at  the 
beginning. 


IN   GATRINA'S   HOUSE 


347 


The  noise  made  during  the  struggle  was  so  great 
that  I  knew  the  household  must  have  been  roused, 
and  while  the  men  were  getting  into  the  soldiers' 
uniforms,  I  listened  with  considerable  anxiety  for 
someone  to  come  down  to  us.  No  one  came,  how- 
ever; and  I  concluded  that  those  who  had  been 
aroused  had  also  been  so  frightened  that  they  pre- 
ferred to  stop  where  they  were. 

The  difficulty  of  the  position  was  increased  by 
my  reluctance  to  see  Gatrina  or  be  seen  by  her,  if 
that  could  be  in  any  way  prevented.  My  plan  was  to 
play  his  burlesque  of  arresting  her,  and  not  to  shew 
my  hand  until  she  was  housed  safely  in  the  care  of 
the  American  Minister.  To  do  that  I  intended  one 
of  the  four  men  whom  Karasch  had  brought  to  act 
the  part  of  leader;  and  I  trusted  that  in  the  confusion 
and  alarm  of  the  arrest,  both  Karasch  and  I  might 
manage  to  pass  unnoticed. 

I  was  revolving  all  this  in  my  thoughts  when  I 
heard  a  movement  above  stairs,  and  presently  a 
man's  voice  called: 

"  Is  that  you,  Michel?    What's  the  matter?  " 

"  Come  down,"  I  called  in  response ;  but  my  voice 
startled  him. 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  Michel  wants  you.  There  is  trouble.  Come 
down;"  but  he  would  not.  Instead  of  coming  he 
went  away;  and  I  heard  the  low  murmur  of  voices 
as  he  spoke  with  someone  else. 

Lights  shewed  then,  and  I  heard  people  moving 
about.  But  I  did  not  want  the  house  to  be  lighted 
up,  for  fear  of  its  attracting  too  much  notice  out- 


348  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

side;  and  I  therefore  called  to  my  men  to  make  haste 
with  their  dressing. 

When  they  came  I  led  the  way  upstairs  to  find 
the  servants  huddled  together  looking  very  scared; 
the  two  men  in  front  of  them  armed.  At  the  sight 
of  so  many  of  us  in  uniform  they  uttered  cries  of 
surprise  and  alarm. 

"  Put  those  guns  down,"  I  said,  in  a  tone  of  com- 
mand. "We  are  too  strong  for  you  to  resist;  and 
if  you  make  any  attempt,  it  will  only  lead  to  trouble. 
Do  as  I  say,  and  no  harm  will  come  to  you." 

The  two  men  hesitated.  "What  do  you  want?" 
asked  one  of  them. 

"  Cover  them,"  I  said,  stepping  to  one  side,  and 
up  went  my  men's  guns  to  their  shoulders. 

One  of  the  women  screamed  and  they  all  huddled 
back,  while  the  men  laid  their  weapons  on  the 
ground  with  discreet  speed.  At  a  sign  from  me  the 
muskets  were  lowered. 

"  Put  out  most  of  those  lights,"  I  said  next ;  and 
the  order  was  obeyed  with  a  celerity  that  spoke 
volumes  for  the  impression  we  had  created.  "  Where 
is  your  mistress,  the  Princess  Gatrina?" 

"  In  her  rooms,  sir,"  said  one  of  the  women  serv- 
ants. 

"  Tell  her  to  dress  at  once.  She  is  to  come  with 
us.  Impress  upon  her  that  only  her  safety  is  being 
considered.  Strange  things  are  doing  in  the  city, 
and  she  cannot  remain  here.  She  must  be  ready  to 
go  with  us  in  five  minutes." 

The  girl  sped  away  up  the  broad  stairs  and  I 
turned  to  Karasch  to  tell  him  my  plan. 


IN   GATRINA'S   HOUSE 


349 


"  The  Princess  will  probably  demand  to  see  us; 
and  as  neither  you  nor  I  can  go  to  her  without  being 
recognised,  two  of  these  must  go.  Pick  them  out." 

He  chose  two,  and  I  told  them  what  to  say.  That 
we  had  been  selected  to  protect  the  Princess  and 
take  her  to  a  place  where  she  would  be  safe  until  the 
trouble  in  the  city  had  passed. 

The  maid  came  back  and  her  message  was  pretty 
much  what  I  had  anticipated. 

"  Her  highness  will  see  you  in  a  minute,  sir.  She 
wishes  to  know  from  whom  you  come;  and  declares 
she  will  not  leave  the  house." 

"  Our  orders  are  peremptory.  In  five  minutes 
she  must  go  with  us,"  I  replied,  and  she  carried  the 
message. 

While  we  waited  for  the  reply  I  went  into  the 
room  where  I  had  once  before  been,  and  saw  that 
my  fears  as  to  the  unguarded  window  were  only  too 
well  justified.  I  called  Karasch's  attention  to  it. 

"  If  we  have  to  remain  in  the  house  that  window 
must  be  barricaded,  or  we  may  as  well  throw  open 
the  front  door,"  I  said;  and  we  were  discussing  it 
when  I  heard  one  of  the  maids  say  to  the  other 
servants  that  the  street  in  the  front  of  the  house  was 
getting  full  of  people. 

We  went  and  looked  out.  It  was  only  too  true; 
and  that  it  probably  had  a  very  sinister  meaning  for 
us  all  I  knew  to  my  infinite  concern. 

The  city  was  indeed  awaking  to  a  knowledge  of 
the  dread  doings  of  the  night  of  terror,  and  the 
crowd  was  beginning  to  gather  here  in  expectation 


350  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

that  the  house  would  become  the  scene  of  some  stir- 
ring and  exciting  act  of  the  tragedy. 

I  noticed  with  relief,  however,  that  no  troops  were 
present.  None  had  been  sent  yet  under  the  belief 
that  Gatrina  would  be  made  prisoner  by  the  hand- 
ful of  men  whose  parts  we  were  now  playing.  But 
how  long  this  belief  would  continue  it  was  impos- 
sible to  conjecture. 

Someone  somewhere  was  waiting  to  receive  the 
Princess  from  the  hands  of  the  men ;  and  when  they 
did  not  arrive  with  her,  the  sands  of  patience  would 
be  few  and  would  soon  run  out,  and  a  fresh  guard 
sent  to  know  the  reason.  When  they  came,  they 
would  bring  a  heap  of  trouble  with  them;  unless  I 
could  hurry  Gatrina  from  the  house  in  time. 

The  need  for  haste  was  thus  imperative;  and  I 
fretted  and  worried  at  the  delay  she  made,  all  un- 
conscious as  she  was  of  the  peril  it  meant  to  her 
and  all. 

The  instant  the  five  minutes'  grace  had  expired, 
I  sent  the  two  men  upstairs  to  bring  her  down, 
despatching  one  of  the  scared  maid-servants  to  shew 
them  her  room. 

At  that  moment  we  heard  sounds  below  and  Chris 
growled  and  barked.  Karasch  and  I,  followed  by 
the  two  men,  ran  down  instantly  and  found  trouble; 
one  of  the  soldiers,  carelessly  bound,  had  wriggled 
out  of  his  cords  and  liberated  a  companion;  and  as 
we  reached  the  bottom  of  the  stairs,  the  two  were 
in  the  passage  with  the  dog  blocking  the  way  to  the 
door  and  snarling  fiercely. 

We  rushed  toward  them,  but  they  slipped  into  the 


7JV    GATRINA'S   HOUSE  351 

room  where  Chris  had  had  the  fight  with  the  leader; 
and  slamming  the  door  in  our  faces,  set  up  a  clatter 
loud  enough  to  wake  the  dead. 

Karasch  and  I  dashed  ourselves  against  the  door 
and  as  we  strained  to  force  it,  we  heard  the  crash  of 
glass. 

"The  garden,  Karasch,"  I  cried;  and  we  unfast- 
ened the  door  and  rushed  out.  Chris  darted  out 
with  a  growl  and  in  a  moment  had  brought  one  of 
the  men  to  bay.  The  other  fled  toward  the  stable 
and  we  ran  in  pursuit  of  him.  But  he  was  a  quick, 
agile  fellow,  and  using  the  little  door  at  the  end  as 
a  means  of  escape,  he  sprang  up  it,  mounted  the  wall 
and  disappeared — to  carry  the  news  of  our  doings 
heaven  alone  knew  where. 

"  Back  to  the  house,  Karasch.  We  must  get 
away  before  that  man  can  bring  help."  We  took 
back  his  comrade,  thrust  him  into  a  room,  turned 
the  key  upon  him,  and  hurried  again  up  the  stairs. 

Matters  were  going  against  me  in  the  house  also; 
and  I  was  beginning  to  realise  that  I  had  grievously 
bungled  matters  in  choosing  such  a  method  to  serve 
Gatrina. 

She  had  done  precisely  what,  if  I  had  not  been  a 
dolt,  I  might  have  known  a  girl  of  her  courage  and 
resolution  would  do.  She  had  used  the  minutes  of 
grace  to  barricade  herself  into  the  room. 

The  men  were  waiting  for  me  with  the  story. 

"  She  has  fastened  herself  into  her  room,  she  and 
her  maids,  and  we  could  hear  them  piling  things 
against  the  door  to  keep  us  out.  We  tried  to  call 
your  message  through  the  door,  but  at  first  she 


352  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

wouldn't  answer;  and  then  she  said  she  was  quite 
safe  where  she  was  and  would  yield  to  nothing  but 
force.  We  didn't  like  to  force  the  door  without 
your  orders." 

I  clenched  my  hands  in  impotent  chagrin.  Had 
we  been  the  soldiers  whose  part  we  were  playing, 
there  would  have  been  little  enough  difficulty,  of 
course;  and  a  few  minutes  would  have  sufficed  to 
break  a  way  in  and  take  her  prisoner. 

But  force  was  out  of  the  question  for  me;  and  I 
felt  like  a  flustered  fool  as  the  infinitely  precious 
moments  slipped  away  one  after  another  bringing 
perilously  nearer  the  troops  who  would  come  hurry- 
ing to  the  house  the  instant  the  man  who  had 
escaped  got  his  story  to  headquarters. 

To  add  to  the  strain  of  the  situation,  cries  and  calls 
began  to  be  heard  from  the  crowd  in  the  street. 
Presently  a  stone  was  flung  through  one  of  the 
windows;  and  the  crash  of  the  glass  sent  a  shiver  of 
fear  through  the  clustered  servants  and  was  followed 
by  a  loud  cheer  from  the  crowd  and  a  cry  of  "  Down 
with  the  Obrenovics!" 

"  Shew  me  the  Princess's  room,"  I  said,  and  fol- 
lowed by  the  men  I  ran  up  stairs  and  knocked  on 
the  panel  of  the  door. 

There  was  no  answer. 

I  knocked  again. 

"  For  God's  sake  open  the  door  and  come  out,"  I 
said,  eagerly.  , 

Still  there  was  no  reply;  and  while  we  waited  more 
stones  were  flung  and  more  windows  broken,  fol- 


IN   GATRINA'S   HOUSE  353 

lowed  as  before  by  the  shouts  and  hoarse  cries  of  the 
mob. 

But  not  a  sign  would  Gatrina  make  in  response 
to  my  knocking  and  appeal. 

Every  second  was  bringing  the  danger  nearer — 
and  it  was  growing  to  a  double  peril  now;  for  Kar- 
asch  brought  me  word  that  the  mob  was  increasing 
fast  in  numbers  and  were  growing  so  angry  that  it 
looked  as  though  they  would  attack  the  house. 

I  clamoured  again  at  the  door  and  called  out  that 
there  was  imminent  danger;  but  either  she  did  not 
hear  my  voice  because  of  the  clamour  of  the  people 
without,  or  hearing  it,  did  not  recognise  the  tone; 
and  held  it  to  be  a  ruse  of  the  soldiers  to  induce  her 
to  open  the  door. 

I  felt  just  mad  as  I  cursed  my  stupidity  for  having 
planned  this  soldier  business,  which  had  thus  driven 
Gatrina  to  regard  these  desperate  efforts  of  ours  to 
save  her  as  the  violence  of  her  enemies  bent  upon 
her  destruction. 

Meanwhile  the  temper  of  the  populace  without 
was  rising  so  fast  that  it  seemed  as  if  a  few  minutes 
would  make  escape  from  the  house  impracticable  for 
us  all,  even  if  more  troops  did  not  arrive. 

I  hammered  again  at  the  door  and  called  her  in 
my  loudest  tones ;  I  told  the  servants  of  the  peril  in 
which  she  stood  if  we  could  not  get  her  away,  and 
urged  them  to  join  with  me  in  appealing  to  her  to 
yield.  But  it  was  all  to  no  purpose.  Not  a  word 
would  she  answer  either  to  them  or  to  me. 

"Get  me  paper  quickly,"  I  told  them;  and  when 
one,  a  whitefaced  girl,  rushed  away  on  the  errand,  I 


354  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

whistled  up  Chris  and  set  him  barking  in  the  hope 
that  she  would  hear  him  and  know  by  the  sound 
who  was  there. 

Chris  succeeded  where  I  had  failed. 

"What  is  that?"  It  was  Gatrina's  voice;  and 
hearing  it  the  dog  whined  and  barked  joyfully. 

"  It  is  Chris,"  I  called.  "  We  are  here  to  save 
you.  Open  the  door  for  the  love  of  God  at  once." 

"Who  is  that  speaking?" 

. "  It  is  I,  Bourgwan,"  I  replied,  my  voice  unsteady 
in  my  excitement.  "  There  is  not  a  moment  to 
lose." 

"Where  are  the  soldiers?" 

"  I  will  explain  all.  For  God's  sake  come  or  it 
will  be  too  late.  Every  second  is  precious." 

We  heard  them  drag  away  something  they  had 
placed  before  the  door;  and  burning  with  impatience 
called  again  to  them  to  make  haste. 

At  that  moment  a  loud  knocking  came  at  the  front 
door  of  the  house;  and  one  of  Karasch's  men  came 
running  to  say  that  the  soldiers  were  in  the  street. 

"  We  daren't  stay  to  be  caught  in  these  uniforms. 
We  shall  be  shot  off-hand  at  a  time  like  this,"  he 
said;  and  the  others  agreed. 

"  You'll  be  shot  by  me  if  you  attempt  to  desert 
me  now,"  I  answered  desperately.  "  Before  anyone 
can  get  in,  we  shall  be  away.  Stop  them,  Karasch. 
In  a  few  moments  we  shall  all  be  away." 

Again  there  came  the  loud  knocking  and  clanging 
of  the  bell,  followed  by  the  cries  of  the  mob  and 
another  shower  of  stones  at  the  house. 


IN    GATRINA'S   HOUSE  355 

Unable  to  hold  their  courage  longer  my  men 
turned  and  ran  down  the  stairs  helter-skelter. 

There  was  a  moment's  calm  without  and  in  the 
silence  the  room  door  unlocked  and  Gatrina  came 
out. 

Not  recognising  me  for  an  instant  in  the  surprise 
at  seeing  my  officer's  uniform,  and  Karasch  by  me 
dressed  also  as  a  soldier,  she  started  back  as  if  fear- 
ing treachery;  but  Chris  rushed  up  to  her  and  dis- 
armed her  fear. 

"  Would  God  you  had  come  out  before,"  I  cried. 

Before  she  could  reply  we  heard  the  sound  of  a 
scuffle  and  two  of  the  men  came  running  back. 

"  We  are  too  late.  The  soldiers  are  already  in 
the  house  below,"  cried  one,  breathlessly.  "  We  are 
as  good  as  dead  men." 

Even  Karasch  changed  colour  at  the  news. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CHRIS   TO    THE    RESCUE. 

It  was  the  delay  which  had  been  fatal  to  the  plan. 
The  minutes  during  which  we  had  had  to  wait  before 
Gatrina  could  be  made  to  understand  who  we  were 
and  what  our  object  was  had  just  turned  the  balance 
against  us. 

"  What  dreadful  thing  has  happened  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  cannot  spare  a  moment  to  explain.  If  you 
will  play  the  part  of  being  my  prisoner  there  is  yet  a 
chance  of  getting  away." 

"  I  am  sorry,"  she  said,  as  her  maid  brought  her 
a  cloak  and  hat. 

"  Silence  there,"  I  cried  in  a  loud  voice.  "  Fall  in. 
I  am  sorry  my  duty  is  so  unpleasant,  your  highness; 
but  I  can  answer  no  questions.  Forward." 

I  led  the  way  motioning  to  Karasch  to  walk  at 
Gatrina's  side,  with  two  of  the  men  in  front  and  two 
bringing  up  the  rear.  The  women  thinking  the 
thing  real  began  to  weep. 

I  had  heard  the  soldiers  coming  up  and  they  met 
us  on  the  stairs.  The  only  chance  was  to  put  as 
bold  a  face  as  possible  on  the  matter  and  with  as 
much  show  of  authority  as  I  could  assume,  I  said : 

"Is  the  way  from  the  house  clear?  I  shall  take 
the  prisoner  by  the  back  through  the  garden." 


CHRIS    TO    THE   RESCUE  357 

I  had  expected  to  be  faced  by  some  of  the  men  we 
had  fought  with  earlier,  but  to  my  intense  relief  there 
were  none  but  private  soldiers  and  one  sergeant;  and 
on  seeing  my  captain's  uniform  they  stood  aside  and 
saluted. 

"  We  have  not  been  to  the  back  of  the  house,  cap- 
tain," replied  the  sergeant. 

"  Is  Colonel  Petrosch  here  yet  ?  "  I  asked  this  as 
I  thought  the  mention  of  the  name  might  impress 
him. 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Who's  in  command  of  the  soldiers  in  the  front?  " 

"  Lieutenant  Bulver,  captain." 

"  Is  he  in  sufficient  force  to  control  the  mob?  " 

"  He  has  a  strong  body  of  troops,  captain." 

"  What  are  you  doing  in  the  house?  "  I  was  curi- 
ous to  know  whether  the  escape  of  the  soldiers  had 
anything  to  do  with  it. 

"  We  were  detailed  to  see  if  the  arrest  had  yet  been 
made,  captain,  and  to  assist  you  if  necessary." 

I  breathed  a  little  more  freely. 

"  All  I  need  is  that  the  mob  there  be  kept  in  the 
front  of  the  house  so  that  I  can  get  away  with  the 
prisoner  quietly  at  the  back.  That  side  street  must 
be  cleared  of  people.  How  did  you  get  into  the 
house? " 

"  We  forced  a  small  door  at  the  side,  captain." 

This  accounted  for  his  not  knowing  anything  of 
what  had  gone  on  below  stairs  in  the  basement. 

Then  came  the  sound  of  more  hooting  and  groan- 
ing from  the  front  of  the  house;  and  another  volley 
of  stones  breaking  more  of  the  windows.  This  in 


358  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

turn  was  followed  by  sharp  words  of  command ;  and 
a  knocking  at  the  front  door. 

Keeping  up  my  policy  of  bluff,  I  opened  it  my- 
self. The  officer  was  on  the  step  and  started  in  sur- 
prise at  seeing  me.  He  was  a  pleasant-faced  young 
fellow,  and  taking  me  for  a  superior  officer  was  dis- 
posed to  offer  an  apology.  Bluff  is  an  excellent 
policy  while  you  can  keep  your  end  up. 

"  Oh,  I  thought  only  a  sergeant  was  here,"  he  said. 

"  I  deemed  it  best  to  come  myself,"  I  answered. 
"  Can't  you  keep  the  crowd  in  order?  " 

"  They  are  very  strong  and  inclined  to  violence. 
We've  driven  them  back  for  a  bit;  but  I've  sent  for 
more  men." 

I  knew  they  would  be  on  hand  sooner  than  he 
thought  or  I  wished;  but  I  replied,  seriously:  "  Very 
prudent.  This  sort  of  thing  is  not  what  we  want 
at  all.  The  house  was  to  be  protected." 

"  We  did  not  look  for  such  a  demonstration,"  he 
said  again,  apologetically. 

"  Well,  I  have  made  the  arrest,  but  I  had  more 
trouble  than  I  anticipated;  there  was  a  stout  resist- 
ance. I  wish  to  take  the  prisoner  away  without  ex- 
posing her  to  the  mob.  Let  your  men  clear  the  side 
street  of  people,  and  prevent  anyone  passing  into  it. 
I  shall  leave  the  house  by  the  garden  through  the 
stables." 

"  We  are  strong  enough  to  protect  her  from  the 
crowd." 

"  I  prefer  the  other  way,  lieutenant.  Be  good 
enough  to  see  my  order  carried  out,"  I  replied 
sharply. 


CHRIS    TO    THE   RESCUE  359 

"  I'll  have  it  done  at  once,"  and  he  went  away. 

'  You  had  better  help  the  lieutenant,  sergeant; 
he  will  need  all  the  men  he  can  have." 

In  this  way  I  got  rid  of  him  and  his  men  also, 
and  I  shut  the  door  again,  with  a  fervent  sigh  of 
thankfulness  that  my  imposture  had  not  been  de- 
tected. I  had  caught  the  lieutenant  eyeing  me  curi- 
ously more  than  once  during  the  short  colloquy; 
but  I  concluded  that  he  took  me  for  one  of  the 
officers  who  had  been  drafted  in  from  the  provincial 
regiments  for  the  grim  work  of  that  night.  And 
probably  my  air  and  tone  of  authority  had  stopped 
him  from  putting  any  questions  which  I  should  have 
found  exceedingly  hard  to  answer. 

Whatever  his  reasons,  I  had  succeeded  in  bluffing 
him,  even  at  the  very  moment  when  I  had  given 
up  all  as  lost;  and  my  hopes  began  to  rise  that  even 
in  the  teeth  of  all  this  force  and  despite  the  anger 
of  the  mob,  Gatrina  would  be  saved. 

"  We'll  make  for  the  garden  at  once,"  I  said;  and 
we  passed  through  the  room  with  the  French  win- 
dow opening  on  to  the  garden,  and  hurried  to  the 
stables. 

As  we  passed  we  could  hear  the  troops  clearing 
the  street  amid  the  expostulations  and  cries  of  the 
crowd,  as  they  were  swept  on  toward  the  front. 

Until  now  Gatrina  had  not  spoken  to  me,  but  we 
had  to  wait  while  the  way  was  cleared  and  we  stood 
side  by  side  and  a  little  apart  from  the  rest. 

"You  have  run  a  terrible  risk,  Mr.  Bergwyn," 
she  said. 


360  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  I  have  been  in  no  danger;  and  we  shall  get  away 
all  right." 

"What  has  happened  at  the  Palace?" 

"  I  don't  know.  I  got  wind  of  this  intended  ar- 
rest of  you  and  came  here  in  the  hope  of  intercept- 
ing the  soldiers.  As  I  was  on  my  way,  a  very  large 
body  of  troops,  some  hundreds  of  men,  passed  me 
marching  on  the  Palace;  and  afterwards  I  heard  the 
sound  of  firing.  But  what  occurred  after  that  I 
have  no  knowledge  whatever." 

She  wrung  her  hands  despairingly. 

"  Do  you  think — oh,  God,  it  is  maddening." 

"  It  is  the  work  of  the  army.  I  know  so  much. 
And  I  hope  they  have  done  no  more  than  to  force 
an  abdication." 

"  You  say  that  as  if  you  feared — I  know  not  what 
horrors." 

"  If  we  once  get  clear  of  this  we  shall  find  out 
what  has  occurred.  But  we  could  do  nothing  if  we 
wished.  You  have  seen  for  yourself  the  temper 
of  the  people.  They  have  sided  with  the  army." 

"You  mean  the  attack  on  my  house?" 

"  Yes.  The  city  is  mad  to-night,  and  would  do 
anything.  The  only  thing  to  think  of  now  is  your 
safety.  Karasch,  look  over  if  we  can  go  yet." 

I  was  on  fire  with  impatience  to  be  away;  but 
Karasch  reported  that  the  street  was  not  yet  clear. 

"  Is  there  no  other  way  we  could  escape  ? "  I 
asked  Gatrina. 

She  shook  her  head.     "  No,  none,"  she  replied. 

"  I  dare  not  wait  here,  Karasch;  we  shall  be 
caught  in  a  trap;"  and  opening  the  door  in  the 


CHRIS    TO    THE   RESCUE  361 

stable  gates  I  looked  out;  but  only  to  shut  it  again 
quickly  as  I  caught  my  breath  in  dismay  at  what  I 
saw. 

Another  body  of  troops  were  coming  towards  us 
at  the  double,  and  by  the  side  of  the  officer  in  com- 
mand ran  a  man  in  his  shirt  sleeves.  It  was  the 
soldier  who  had  escaped  from  us. 

"We  are  too  late,"  I  said,  as  calmly  as  I  could 
speak.  '"'  There  are  more  troops,  Karasch,  and  that 
man  is  guiding  them.  We  must  go  back  to  the 
house  and  try  to  get  away  from  the  front." 

We  hurried  back  through  the  garden,  and  before 
we  reached  the  house  the  newcomers  were  already 
clamouring  at  the  stable  gates. 

Dashing  through  the  house  I  flung  open  the  front 
door. 

But  that  way  was  impossible.  The  very  orders  I 
had  given,  to  have  the  crowd  massed  in  the  front  of 
the  house,  had  effectually  barred  the  chance  of 
escape.  They  had  been  driven  from  the  side  street 
and  were  now  surging  and  swaying  in  a  dense  mass 
to  the  right  of  the  house,  too  vast  a  crowd  for  me 
to  hope  of  pushing  my  way  through  them  with  the 
handful  of  men  I  had. 

To  go  to  the  left  meant  only  running  into  the 
arms  of  the  fresh  troops;  certain  capture. 

I  called  Karasch  and  pointed  to  the  hopelessness 
of  the  attempt. 

"  We  can  do  nothing.  You  and  the  men  must 
get  away." 

"And  you?"  he  asked. 

"  I  shall  stay  with  the  Princess." 


362  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Then  I  stay  too,  with  you,"  he  said  sturdily. 

"  No,  you  can  do  better.  You  can  save  us  both. 
You  and  the  others.  You  can  pretend  to  carry  a 
message  from  me  to  the  lieutenant — that  I  want  to 
speak  to  him;  and  then  lose  yourselves  among  the 
soldiers  or  in  the  crowd.  Get  away  as  fast  as  you 
can,  and  search  high  and  low  to  find  Colonel  Pet- 
rosch.  Don't  forget  the  name,  and  find  him  at  any 
hazard.  Tell  him  that  my  life  is  in  danger  and  that 
he  must  come  here  if  it  is  not  to  be  lost.  If  he 
questions  you,  tell  him  plainly  all  I  have  done.  Now 

go." 

"  I  don't  like  leaving  you,"  he  insisted. 

"  For  God's  sake,  man,  don't  be  a  fool.  It's  the 
only  way  out  of  the  tightest  fix  I  was  ever  in.  You 
must  reach  him  before  he  hears  the  news  these 
others  are  bringing.  Go ;  "  and  I  half  pushed  him 
out  of  the  house. 

The  rest  were  only  too  eager  to  be  off,  and  I 
watched  breathlessly  as  Karasch  crossed  the  cleared 
space,  spoke  to  the  lieutenant,  who  looked  over  at 
me  and  after  hesitating,  walked  toward  me. 

As  he  came,  I  saw  Karasch  and  his  men  move 
back  to  the  soldiers,  push  through  the  ranks,  and 
disappear  in  the  crowd  behind  them. 

"What  have  you  done?"  asked  Gatrina. 

"  I  have  sent  for  someone  who  may  get  us  out 
of  the  mess  I  have  been  clever  enough  to  get  us 
into.  I  don't  know  what's  going  to  happen  first." 

The  lieutenant  entered  the  house  then. 

"You  wish  to  speak  to  me,  captain?"  he  asked. 

"  It's  just  as  well  to  you  as  to  another.    I'm  only 


CHRIS    TO    THE   RESCUE  363 

masquerading  in  this  uniform.     I  am  not  an  officer 
at  all." 

He  stared  at  me  openmouthed  in  sheer  amaze- 
ment. 

"No  officer?"  he  stammered.  "I  don't  under- 
stand." 

'  You  soon  will.  There  are  those  coming  who 
will  make  it  all  plain  to  you.  But  having  misled 
you  purposely,  I  wished  to  tell  you;  that's  all."  I 
spoke  as  coolly  as  though  I  had  been  announcing  a 
mere  business  fact. 

"The  soldiers  who  were  with  you?"  he  asked 
then,  glancing  round  as  if  in  search  of  them. 

"  They  are  gone,"  I  told  him. 

Then  we  heard  a  noise  in  the  basement.  Loucf 
voices,  the  tramp  of  many  feet,  and  a  rush  up  the 
stairs. 

"  We'll  wait  for  them  here,"  I  said  to  Gatrina, 
pointing  to  a  room  at  the  back  of  the  house;  and  we 
all  three  went  into  it,  Chris  keeping  close  by  her 
side. 

"  You  are  my  prisoner,  sir,"  said  the  lieutenant. 

"  I  shall  offer  no  resistance,"  I  replied,  making  it 
sound  as  much  like  a  concession  on  my  part  as  I 
could. 

I  put  a  chair  for  Gatrina  and  she  sat  down,  while 
I  stood  beside  her. 

The  next  minute  the  soldiers  came  crowding  into 
the  room  with  the  sergeant  and  men  whose  uni- 
forms we  had  taken  in  their  midst.  They  were  all 
talking  at  once  and  gesticulating  at  once  angrily, 
making  a  sort  of  Babel  of  tongues,  in  which  fierce 


364  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

denunciations    of   me   were    disquietingly   loud    and 
conspicuous. 

The  officer  in  charge  of  the  newcomers  ex- 
changed a  few  words  with  the  lieutenant,  describing 
excitedly  the  heinous  deed  of  which  I  had  been 
guilty.  I  disliked  the  look  of  him  intensely — a 
heavy,  red-haired  bully  of  a  man,  and  when  he  ad- 
dressed me  he  did  so  in  a  hectoring  tone  difficult  to, 
hear  without  anger. 

"  So  We've  arrived  in  time  to  take  you  red- 
handed,  my  fine  fellow,  eh  ?  " 

"Red-handed?  In  doing  what?"  I  asked,  meet- 
ing his  beetle-browed  stare  firmly. 

"  Don't  try  to  bluster  with  me.  I'm  the  wrong 
man,"  he  cried,  hotly.  "  It  won't  pay  you,  I  prom- 
ise you." 

"  He  was  one  of  them,  captain.  I'll  swear  to  him. 
And  that's  the  dog  that  flew  at  me,"  said  the  ser- 
geant. 

"  Take  the  beast  out  and  shoot  it,"  ordered  the 
captain,  brutally. 

Chris  was  in  no  immediate  danger  of  that  fate, 
however.  Two  of  the  soldiers  went  toward  him 
but  he  shewed  his  great  fangs  and  looked  so  danger- 
ous, that  they  stopped  and  stepped  back;  and  no 
other  volunteers  offered  for  the  job. 

Angered  at  this  the  captain  himself  drew  a  re- 
volver and  pointed  it  at  the  dog,  but  I  checkmated 
this  by  calling  Chris  round  behind  me. 

"  Don't  you  dare  to  interfere  with  my  orders," 
cried  the  bully,  furiously. 

I  answered  this  by  putting  myself  right  in  the  line 


CHRIS    TO    THE    RESCUE  365 

of  fire.     "  I  will  not  have  the  dog  shot  in  this  way." 

'  The  dog  is  in  my  house  and  under  my  protec- 
tion," exclaimed  Gatrina. 

'  You  are  my  prisoners,  both  of  you;  and  as  for 
you,"  he  said,  with  a  coarse  sneer  to  Gatrina,  "  your 
day  is  done,  and  your  protection  will  avail  nothing. 
You'll  find  that  out  soon  enough."  But  he  put  up 
his  revolver;  and  as  we  had  gained  the  point,  it 
wasn't  policy  to  anger  him  further  with  the  hot 
remonstrance  that  rose  to  my  lips. 

"  Did  this  man  give  you  his  name?  "  he  asked  the 
lieutenant,  who  shook  his  head  and  shrugged  his 
shoulders.  I  think  he  was  more  than  a  little 
ashamed  of  his  superior's  manner.  "  What's  your 
name,  prisoner?  "  demanded  the  captain  next. 

"  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  explain  everything  I 
have  done;  but  I  should  prefer  to  do  so  before  a 
smaller  audience." 

"  I  daresay  you.,  would,  but  you're  not  in  a  posi- 
tion to  choose.  I  settle  that.  Now  answer  my 
questions  and  don't  try  to  lie  to  me." 

The  colour  leapt  to  my  face  at  this.  "  There  is  no 
need  to  insult  me,  captain.  It  will  neither  hurt  my 
case,  nor  help  yours." 

"  By  God,  if  you  don't  answer  me  at  once  I'll 
have  you  marched  down  into  the  garden  there  and 
shot  for  a  traitor  and  a  cur." 

I  couldn't  take  that.  It  made  me  mad.  Clipping 
my  words  short  I  answered,  deliberately: 

"  I  think  that  would  be  the  better  plan,  then.  It 
will  at  least  free  me  from  the  presence  of  a  cad  and 
a  bully;  and  the  lieutenant  there  will,  I  am  sure, 


366  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

have  the  courage  and  justice  to  tell  the  truth  of 
your  act." 

He  swore  a  deep  oath,  beside  himself  with  rage. 

"  Seize  him,"  he  shouted.  "  By  God,  seize  him, 
and  take  him  out  and  shoot  him." 

I  was  seized  by  three  soldiers. 

"  Lieutenant,  you  will  tell  Colonel  Petrosch  how 
I,  his  personal  friend,  have  been  condemned  with- 
out a  hearing." 

"  Away  with  him,"  shouted  the  captain,  stamping 
with  rage.  The  men  began  to  lead  me  away. 

"  This  is  murder,  and  shall  not  be  done,"  cried 
Gatrina,  jumping  to  her  feet. 

"  Silence,  woman,"  exclaimed  the  bully.  "  Your 
doom  is  near,  too." 

"  I  will  not  be  silent  while  murder  is  being  done. 
I  call  upon  all  of  you  to  stop  this  murder.  You, 
sir,"  turning  to  the  lieutenant.  "  You  will  not " 

The  captain,  like  a  maniac  in  his  fury  at  this  inter- 
ruption, drew  his  sword  and  shouting  out  a  vile 
epithet,  rushed  at  Gatrina,  intending,  I  believe,  to 
strike  her  down. 

But  Chris,  whose  ominous  growl  at  my  treatment 
I  had  had  to  pacify,  went  almost  as  mad  at  this  as 
the  bully  himself  and  with  a  savage  growl  launched - 
himself  right  at  the  captain's  throat,  bore  him  to  the 
ground,  and  pinned  him  down,  despite  the  blows 
and  kicks  which  the  soldiers  rained  upon  him. 

"  Loose  him,  Chris,"  I  cried,  fearing  the  man 
would  be  killed;  and  at  my  voice  he  obeyed.  Then, 
as  he  was  looking  up  to  me,  one  of  the  soldiers  who 
had  picked  up  the  captain's  sword  slashed  at  the 


CHRIS    TO    THE   RESCUE  367 

dog's  leg  and  when  he  dropped,  the  brute  thrust 
the  blade  between  his  ribs. 

With  a  cry  of  rage  I  broke  from  the  men  who 
held  me  and  rushed  to  Chris,  but  Gatrina  was  before 
me. 

"  You  coward ! "  she  cried  to  the  soldier,  who 
stood  half  gloating,  half  dismayed  at  his  act;  and  the 
next  moment  my  fist  crashed  into  his  face,  knocking 
him  sprawling  among  his  comrades. 

As  I  bent  over  my  gallant  dog,  my  heart  full  of 
sadness  and  pity  for  him,  I  was  seized  again  by  the 
men,  and  such  a  scene  of  confusion  and  riot  fol- 
lowed as  baffles  description. 

They  beat  me,  of  course,  and  I  was  dragged  back 
and  held  panting,  struggling,  straining,  breathing 
out  impotent  threats,  and  cursing  all  who  had  had 
a  hand  in  the  cruel  work,  as  I  strove  vainly  to  get 
again  to  the  spot  where  Gatrina,  white-faced  and 
pitying,  knelt  by  the  dear  dog,  who  had  so  valiantly 
given  his  life  to  save  her. 

Another  group  had  the  bully  of  a  captain  for  its 
centre.  He  was  getting  up,  all  bloody  about  the 
throat  where  Chris  had  fastened  on  him,  and  mad- 
der than  ever  with  rage,  gasped  out  a  repetition  of 
his  orders  to  have  Gatrina  seized  and  me  taken 
away  and  shot. 

Still  fighting  with  the  men  about  me  I  was  being 
lugged  and  hustled  and  thrust  out  of  the  room, 
oblivious  to  everything  but  my  insensate  rage,  and 
they  had  got  me  to  the  door  when  two  officers  en- 
tered the  house. 

"What  is  this  riot?"  cried  one  in  a  loud,  stern 


363  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

tone;  and  the  men  about  me  started  instantly  at  the 
voice  and  I  felt  their  grip  on  me  to  relax. 

"  It  is  murder;  nothing  else,"  I  shouted;  and  tak- 
ing advantage  of  my  captors'  surprise,  I  broke  from 
them  and  rushed  back  into  the  room  to  Gatrina  and 
my  poor  Chris. 

"Is  he  dead?"  I  asked  her. 

She  looked  up  and  I  read  the  truth  by  the  tears 
in  her  eyes. 

"  Poor,  faithful  Chris,"  she  murmured,  with  a 
deep  sigh,  as  her  hand  gently  caressed  the  great 
head. 

I  could  not  speak.  I  had  loved  the  dog  so  well 
— and  never  better  than  in  the  manner  of  his  death. 
I  bent  over  him  for  a  moment  with  a  feeling  of 
irreparable  loss,  as  at  the  death  of  a  friend. 

"  He  gave  his  life  for  me,  Bourgwan.  Poor  old 
comrade,"  murmured  Gatrina  using,  unconsciously 
I  think,  the  old  term. 

In  that  moment  the  tie  of  our  common  sorrow  for 
the  dog's  death  brought  us  as  close  together  as 
even  in  those  past  days  in  the  hills. 

I  made  no  reply.  I  could  not.  I  was  tongue- 
tied  by  the  hampering  rush  of  mingled  emotions. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

MY   DEFENCE. 

The  grip  of  a  hand  on  my  shoulder  roused  me 
from  my  reverie.  A  couple  of  soldiers  stood  one 
on  either  side  of  me;  and  as  I  turned  I  saw  the  red 
brute  of  a  captain  being  supported  out  of  the  room. 
The  officer  who  had  arrived  last  had  taken  com- 
mand and  was  sitting  at  a  table  with  the  lieutenant 
standing  at  his  side.  With  much  relief  I  recog- 
nised him  at  once.  He  was  a  Major  Kireef  whom 
I  had  met  at  the  Palace  reception. 

I  was  placed  in  front  of  him,  and  two  or  three  of 
the  soldiers  took  up  positions  by  Gatrina.  As  the 
major  held  my  fate  and  perhaps  my  life  in  his  hands, 
I  scrutinised  him  closely.  He  was  a  man  between 
forty  and  fifty  years  of  age ;  his  face  strong  but  not 
harsh;  his  manner  peremptory  as  of  one  accustomed 
to  exact  prompt  obedience;  but  he  gave  me  the  im- 
pression that  he  would  deal  justly  even  if  sternly. 
A  vastly  different  type  of  man  from  the  red-headed, 
passionate  beast  whose  place  he  had  taken.  And  I 
was  heartily  thankful  for  the  exchange. 

He  glanced  sharply  at  me  and  with  a  slight  start 
turned  to  some  notes  he  had  made  of  what  the 
others  had  told  him.  I  guessed  that  he  had  some 
recollection  of  my  features  and  was  probably  look- 
ing for  my  name. 


370  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"You  are  Major  Kireef,  I  think?"  I  said,  while 
his  eyes  were  still  on  the  papers.  He  looked  up 
quickly  and  frowned. 

"  You  are  not  to  question  me,"  he  rapped  out, 
very  curtly.  Then :  "  I  see  no  mention  of  your 
name  here.  What  is  it?" 

"  The  man  who  has  just  left  was  going  to  have 
me  shot  without  troubling  to  find  out,"  I  replied, 
getting  that  fact  out  as  soon  as  I  could. 

"  Be  good  enough  to  remember  you  are  a  pris- 
oner, and  that  you  will  not  help  your  case  by  either 
evading  my  questions  or  attempting  to  bring 
charges  against  others.  Now,  your  name?" 

"  Chase  F.  Bergwyn,  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States." 

He  dropped  his  pen  in  surprise  and  half  started 
to  his  feet. 

"  Mr.  Bergwyn?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  It  is  not  pos- 
sible." 

"  If  you  can  send  a  message  to  Colonel  Petrosch 
he  will  confirm  what  I  say,  major.  I  met  you  at  the 
Reception  at  the  Palace  just  after  my  arrival  in 
Belgrade.  You  may  remember  me." 

I  had  every  cause  to  be  satisfied  with  the  effect 
of  my  words.  He  paused  a  moment  as  if  in  doubt 
what  to  do,  and  then  waved  back  the  soldiers  who 
stood  by  me. 

"  Have  the  room  cleared,"  he  said  to  the  lieuten- 
ant. "  Put  a  chair  for  Mr.  Bergwyn  there."  I 
moved  my  chair  near  to  Gatrina  and  while  the  room 
was  cleared,  he  busied  himself  with  his  notes. 


MY   DEFENCE  371 

"Shall  I  remain,  major?"  asked  the  lieutenant, 
when  the  men  had  gone. 

"Yes,  for  the  present;"  and  the  young  officer 
went  back  to  his  place,  having  to  step  over  poor  old 
Chris,  whose  body,  now  that  -the  place  was  empty, 
lay  in  full  view,  a  conspicuous,  ghastly  evidence  of 
the  wild  scene  just  ended. 

"  There  must  surely  have  been  some  unaccount- 
able mistake,  Mr.  Bergwyn?"  he  said,  interrog- 
atively and  courteously  when  we  four  were  alone; 
"  judging,  that  is,  by  the  extraordinary  story  which 
has  been  told  to  me.  I  invite  you  to  explain." 

"  I  asked  the  captain  who  has  been  hurt  to  allow 
me  to  do  so  privately;  but  he  declined.  Let  me 
thank  you  for  having  cleared  the  room.  There  is 
a  further  favour  you  can  do  me,  and  a  much  more 
important  one.  Let  some  one  go  at  once  in  search 
of  Colonel  Petrosch.  I  won't  disguise  from  you  I 
have  placed  myself  in  a  very  awkward  position,  and 
as  he  and  I  have  had  some  very  confidential  rela- 
tions— you  may  perhaps  know  that — it  is  of  vital 
importance  I  should  have  his  assistance." 

"  This  matter  is  in  my  hands,  and  I  must  investi- 
gate the  facts  before  taking  any  other  action.  The 
charges  against  you  are  very  grave — if  you  are  in- 
deed the  person  implicated." 

"  If  you  will  put  any  questions  I  will  answer 
them,"  I  said,  disappointed  by  his  refusal  of  my 
request. 

"  You  have  represented  yourself  as  an  officer  of 
the  Servian  army?" 

"  Yes." 


372  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  You,  with  others  who  appear  to  have  escaped, 
violently  ill-treated  the  guard  who  were  sent  here 
to  arrest  this  lady — Princess  Gatrina  ?  " 

"It  may  pass  at  that;  although  the  ill-treatment 
was  not  very  violent." 

"  You  set  your  dog  on  one  of  them  ?  " 

"  The  man  was  going  to  arrest  me,  and  I  would 
not  permit  that.  But  he  was  not  hurt." 

"  You  then  forcibly  took  from  five  of  the  men 
their  uniforms  that  your  men  might  wear  them  as 
a  disguise  and  personate  troops  of  the  line." 

"  Yes,  that  is  true." 

His  eyebrows  went  up  and  he  pursed  his  lips  and 
shrugged  his  shoulders.  Very  ominous  gestures. 

"  Who  were  the  men  with  you  ?  " 

"  That  I  cannot  answer.  The  responsibility  is 
mine  and  mine  only.  They  were  men  whom  I  paid 
to  assist  me." 

"  That  is  a  very  grave  admission,  Mr.  Bergwyn." 

"  I  am  quite  aware  of  it.  It's  a  very  tight  corner, 
indeed." 

"  Was  anyone  cognisant  of  your  plans?  " 

"  No  one." 

"This  lady?" 

"  No,  certainly  not." 

"  You  are  wearing  a  captain's  uniform.  How  did 
you  get  it?" 

"  I  borrowed  it  without  leave — stole  it,  perhaps 
I  ought  to  say;  except  that  I  shall  return  it  to  the 
owner." 

"Who  is  the  owner?" 

"  That  I  cannot  answer." 


MY   DEFENCE  373 

'  Yet  you  say  no  one — not  even  the  owner  of  the 
uniform — was  in  league  with  you?" 

"  Not  even  the  owner  of  this  uniform." 

He  appeared  to  find  this  difficult  to  believe;  and 
it  began  to  look  as  if  I  had  done  Nikolitch  a  bad 
turn. 

"  It  is  very  extraordinary." 

"  I  have  told  you  the  truth,  major.  I  give  you 
my  word  of  honour  as  an  American  citizen." 

"  Now  then  as  to  your  object.    What  was  that?  " 

"  I  wished  to  prevent  the  Princess  Gatrina  being 
arrested  by  the  army,  and  to  place  her  in  safety  until 
the  passions  of  this  night's  doings  in  the  city  had 
cooled  sufficiently  for  the  officers  to  have  time  to 
consider  their  course  in  regard  to  her." 

"  I  am  loath  to  take  that  answer,  Mr.  Bergwyn — 
it  only  makes  your  case  worse." 

"  I  can't  help  that,  major.    It  is  the  truth." 

"  You  interfered  deliberately  to  oppose  the  plans 
of  the  army?  " 

"  I  interfered  to  prevent  at  least  one  deed  of  blood 
being  done  in  the  frenzy  of  to-night's  passion." 

"  Who  are  you  to  set  yourself  against  the  army, 
sir?"  he  retorted  very  sternly. 

"  The  English  blood  in  my  veins  and  my  instincts 
as  an  American  citizen  alike  revolt  against  the  in- 
sensate violence  of  such  an  act  as  that  intended,  and 
I  used  such  means  as  I  had  to  prevent  it.  I  staked 
my  life  on  the  issue;  and  if  the  army  choose  to  claim 
the  forfeit,  I  will  pay  it." 

"  Why  do  you  say  such  an  act  was  intended?  " 

"  The  answer  is  supplied  in  what  has  occurred  to- 


374  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

night  at  the  Palace,  Major  Kireef.  That  I  could  not 
prevent,  although,  God  knows,  I  would  have  done 
so  had  I  had  the  power." 

Gatrina,  who  had  been  listening  breathlessly  to 
all  this,  intervened  then.  "  What  has  occurred  at 
the  Palace?"  she  asked  strenuously.  "Surely  no 
violence." 

"  The  King  and  Queen  have  come  in  conflict  with 
the  troops,  and  their  Majesties  have  lost  their  lives 
in  consequence."  The  answer  was  given  with  cold 
deliberation;  and  I  took  it  for  the  official  version  of 
Elma's  one  word  prophecy — assassination. 

Gatrina  was  overcome  by  the  news  and  threw  her- 
self back  in  her  seat,  her  face  covered  by  her  hands. 

"  Are  they  the  only  lives  that  have  been — lost  ?  " 
I  asked. 

"  I  cannot  answer  you,  Mr.  Bergwyn." 

"  Perhaps  not;  but  you  can  at  any  rate  see  in  my 
question  the  reason  for  all  I  have  done  to-night — 
even  if  to  you  it  does  not  appear  to  be  a  justifica- 
tion." 

"  The  arrest  of  the  Princess  will  of  course  take 
place,"  he  answered,  "  and  you,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  will 
have  to  answer  to  the  army  for  what  you  have  done." 

"  I  am  ready  to  face  the  band;  but  I  am  not  the 
only  one  who  will  have  to  do  that.  That  red-headed 
murderer  who  was  here  just  now " 

"  I  cannot  hear  this,"  he  interposed. 

"  It's  part  of  my  case,  if  you  please,"  said  I, 
warmly.  "  He  not  only  told  the  Princess,  like  the 
coward  he  is,  that  she  was  to  die,  but  he  himself  drew 
his  sword  upon  her.  Then  it  was  that  my  dog  there 


MY   DEFENCE  375 

flew  at  him — and  I  only  wish  he  had  torn  his 
cowardly  life  out  of  him." 

"  You  may  have  an  opportunity  of  defence." 

"  '  May  have,'  "  I  cried,  indignantly.  "  You  are 
talking  to  an  American  citizen,  sir,  and  you'll  find 
out  how  that  Government  views  the  acts  of  her 
people  when  they  try  to  prevent  innocent  blood 
being  shed,  even  if  the  acts  themselves  are  wrong. 
I  demand,  right  now,  to  have  the  protection  of  my 
country's  representative." 

"  Your  crime  has  been  committed  against  the 
army,  sir,"  he  said,  coldly. 

"Crime?  Crime  you  call  it?"  I  answered,  pas- 
sionately. "  Crime?  To  tie  up  half  a  dozen  men  in 
order  to  prevent  a  real  crime,  murder,  being  com- 
mitted? If  mine  is  the  crime,  all  I  can  say  is  I  am 
guilty  of  it,  and  would  be  guilty  of  it  a  hundred  times 
over." 

"  This  heat  will  serve  no  purpose,  Mr.  Bergwyn," 
said  the  major,  after  a  pause. 

"  You're  right  there ;  we'll  have  no  more  of  it.  I'll 
tell  you  how  the  thing  arose — for  I've  nothing  to 
conceal;  "  and  I  told  him  plainly  how  I  had  over- 
heard the  talk  between  the  spy  from  Gatrina's  house 
and  just  what  I  had  done  afterwards. 

"  And  now,  if  you'll  send  out  in  search  of  Colonel 
Petrosch,  it  will  save  much  time,  anxiety  and  trouble 
for  all  concerned." 

"  I  must  consider  my  course.  I  am  not  answer- 
able to  Colonel  Petrosch  alone,  I  fear.  The  Princess 
must  be  prepared  to  go  with  my  men." 

"  I  will  go,"  declared  Gatrina,  with  instant  readi- 
ness. 


376  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"The  Princess  is  already  under  arrest,  Major 
Kireef.  She  is  at  your  disposal  here  just  as  much  as 
anywhere  else.  Why  can  she  not  remain  until 
Colonel  Petrosch  comes?  I  have  his  word  of  honour 
that  he  will  do  everything  in  his  power  to  protect 
her." 

"  I  have  my  duty  to  do,  Mr.  Bergvvyn." 

"  I  am  sure  it  cannot  be  your  conception  of  duty 
to  place  her  where  she  will  be  in  danger  of  her  life. 
It  is  but  a  matter  of  an  hour  or  two.  You  are  in 
possession  of  the  house.  No  attempt  will  be  made 
by  her,  I  am  sure,  any  more  than  by  me,  to  escape; 
and  if  it  were  made,  you  are  in  such  force  here  that 
it  would  be  impossible.  Let  her  remain  here  until 
at  least  Colonel  Petrosch  arrives." 

He  shook  his  'head.  "  My  instructions  are  defi- 
nite." 

"  Well,  I'll  give  you  another  reason.  You  know, 
perhaps,  the  general  nature  of  the  matters  which 
have  been  discussed  between  Colonel  Petrosch  and 
myself.  The  result  of  them  may  depend  upon  your 
decision  now.  The  Colonel  would  conform  this." 

He  thought  a  moment.  "  I  should  like  to  do  as 
you  wish.  Will  you  give  me  your  word  of  honour 
to  attempt  no  escape?  " 

"  Certainly,  I  will.  If  I'm  to  get  out  of  this  mess, 
it  will  be  by  very  different  means,  I  assure  you." 

He  considered  again  for  a  space,  and  then  rose. 
"  I  accept  your  word,  Mr.  Bergwyn,  and  will  leave 
you  while  I  send  for  Colonel  Petrosch,  and  con- 
sider what  else  to  do." 

I  gave  a  deep  sigh  of  relief  when  he  left  the  room. 


MY   DEFENCE  377 

I  had  pulled  through  the  first  stage;  and  that  was 
something.  I  glanced  at  Gatrina's  face,  ashen, 
horror-filled,  and  drawn  with  trouble  and  suffering. 
I  could  not  bear  to  witness  it,  so  I  turned  away  and 
stared  blankly  out  of  the  window  into  the  darkness, 
now  changing  rapidly  to  the  grey  of  the  dawn. 

For  a  long  time  not  a  word  was  spoken.  Her 
agony  of  mind  was  far  beyond  words;  and  nothing 
that  I  could  do  or  say  could  relieve  it. 

She  was  not  thinking  of  herself,  I  knew.  All 
thought  of  self,  even  the  uncertainty  of  her  own  fate 
involving  as  it  did  the  issue  of  life  and  death,  was 
lost  in  the  numbing,  staggering  blow  dealt  by  the 
news  of  the  Queen's  murder. 

Now  and  again  a  moaning  sigh  burst  from  her 
lips  and  told  me  how  acute  was  her  agony.  Twice  I 
turned  to  make  some  clumsy  attempt  at  consolation; 
but  each  time  the  look  her  face  bore  stopped  the 
words  on  my  lips,  and  I  turned  back  to  watch  the 
light  without  strengthening  slowly  as  the  time  crept 
on. 

I  had  one  consoling  thought.  The  longer  the  in- 
terval between  the  fell  occurrences  at  the  Palace  and 
the  coming  of  the  soldiers  for  Gatrina,  the  stronger 
grew  the  hope  that  she  might  escape  the  fate  which 
had  been  decreed  for  her. 

That  thought  led  me  slowly  to  another — the  ne- 
cessity of  having  a  definite  proposal  to  make  as  to 
Gatrina's  future  movements.  I  remembered  what 
Colonel  Petrosch  had  said  as  to  the  wish  of  the  army 
that  she  would  go  from  Belgrade. 

Now  that  the  King  was  dead,  the  question  of  the 


378  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

succession  had  become  acute.  Gatrina's  presence 
in  the  city  might  be  a  greater  embarrassment  than 
before  in  the  settlement  of  that  question.  I  recalled, 
too,  Elma's  statement  of  the  Russian  scheme  in  this 
respect.  Even  those  v  who,  like  that  brute  of  a  cap- 
tain, had  resolved  to  cut  the  knot  of  the  difficulty 
with  a  sword  blade,  might  be  glad  to  be  relieved  of 
her  presence. 

Foul,  dastardly,  inhuman  even,  as  was  the  policy 
of  assassination,  it  was  yet  founded  upon  a  sort  of 
crude,  barbarous  logic.  The  resolve  to  exterminate 
the  dynasty  was  the  murderous  major  premise;  and 
the  relentless  and  hideous  resolve  to  put  to  death  all 
who,  by  claims  of  family,  stood  in  the  way,  followed 
as  a  ruthless  consequence. 

That  was  Gatrina's  danger.  But  if  she  would  con- 
sent to  abrogate  her  claims  and  could  be  prevailed 
upon  to  leave  the  city  at  once,  there  was  the  chance 
that  she  might  even  yet  be  spared.  Colonel  Petrosch 
had  avowed  his  desire  to  spare  her;  and  if  he  could 
be  assured  that  she  would  offer  no  opposition  to  the 
army,  his  hands  would  be  greatly  strengthened. 

I  might  at  least  use  the  fact  to  induce  him  to  allow 
nothing  to  be  done  that  night ;  and  the  delay  of  a  few 
hours  might  mean  everything.  I  had  calculated 
throughout  that  when  the  wild  passions  of  all  con- 
cerned in  the  night  of  horror  had  had  time  to  abate, 
the  craving  for  blood  even  of  the  most  reckless  of 
the  reckless  would  cease.  A  reaction  against  further 
violence  would  be  almost  certain  to  follow,  and 
counsels  of  sanity,  reason  and  prudence  would  pre- 
vail once  more. 


MY   DEFENCE  379 

The  light  of  day  and  the  hours  of  reflection  would 
thus  bring  hope,  and  I  watched  the  light  increase 
with  unspeakable  thankfulness.  But  question  Gatrina 
I  must,  and  at  length  I  went  back  to  my  seat  and 
turned  to  her. 

"  We  must  speak  about  yourself,"  I  said. 

In  her  absorption  and  suffering  she  had  not 
noticed  my  movement,  and  started  nervously  at  the 
sound  of  my  voice;  but  said  nothing. 

'  Your  danger  is  not  yet  passed,"  I  continued ; 
and  when  the  officers  return  we  must  have  some- 
thing definite  to  say  about  yourself." 

"  I  care  nothing  for  myself,"  she  murmured,  desol- 
ately. 

"  Your  life  is  in  danger,  and  you  must  care,"  I 
said,  firmly.  I  must  rouse  her  by  some  means. 

"  If  they  covet  my  life,  let  them  take  it — after 
this." 

"  I  will  not  let  you  say  that.  You  are  speaking 
now  under  the  influence  of  these  horrors,  and  from 
the  feelings  of  desperation  which  they  naturally 
prompt.  But  you  must  think  of  yourself,  and  you 
shall.  You  have  no  right  to  throw  your  life  awag 
because  things  have  been  done  which  you  were 
powerless  to  prevent." 

"  Do  you  think  I  fear  death?  If  they  covet  my 
life,  let  them  take  it,"  she  repeated. 

"The  sacrifice  of  your  life  can  do  no  good  to 
those  who  are  already  dead,  Princess.  It  is  only 
cowardly  to  feel  this  indifference." 

"  I  would  rather  be  a  coward  and  die  than  beg 
my  life  at  the  hands  of  these  murderers.  I  will  hear 
no  more." 


38o  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

She  spoke  with  more  animation  than  before;  and 
so  long  as  I  could  rouse  her  from  the  stupor  of  her 
grief  and  horror,  I  knew  I  was  doing  good.  If  she 
could  be  provoked  to  anger,  so  much  the  better.  I 
cared  not  what  I  said. 

'  You  cannot  avoid  hearing  me,  and  I  am  resolved 
to  speak,"  I  continued,  deliberately.  "  And  you  owe 
it  to  me  to  listen  carefully." 

The  curl  of  her  lip  shewed  that  she  thought  this 
about  as  mean  as  it  sounded.  But  she  did  not  reply. 

"  You  must  have  heard  me,  and  if  you  are  not  a 
coward  of  another  kind,  you  will  reply."  I  felt  an 
awful  brute  as  I  said  this;  but  it  had  its  effect.  She 
started  up,  clasping  the  arms  of  her  chair  and  lean- 
ing forward,  looked  at  me  with  amazement,  anger 
and  bitterness.  But  I  went  on  doggedly :  "  Not 
your  life  only  but  mine  also  is  in  the  balance,  and  I 
have  the  right  to  expect  you  to  make  an  effort." 

"The  right?"  The  words  came  like  a  flash  of 
contempt. 

"  Yes,  a  double  right,"  I  said,  in  the  same  stub- 
born tone,  intending  to  anger  her.  "  I  saved  your 
life  in  the  Gravenje  hills  and  I  came  here  now  to 
save  you  again." 

"  My  God,  I  did  not  think  a  man  could  be  found 
to  speak  thus  at  such  a  time,"  she  cried.  She  was 
angry  enough  now  even  to  forget  for  the  moment 
her  grief. 

"  You  are  angry  because  I  remind  you  of  this,  and 
consequently  do  me  the  injustice  of  such  a  taunt," 

"  I  heard  your  words,  sir,"  she  cried. 

"  But  you  didn't  understand  them.     I  spoke  as  I 


MY   DEFENCE  381 

did  to  rouse  your  anger  and  make  you  think  of  other 
things  beside  your  trouble,  and  having  gained  that 
end,  we'll  go  back  to  where  we  began  to  speak  of 
yourself." 

"  How  could  you  ?  How  dared  you  ?  "  she  wailed, 
sinking  back  in  her  seat  again. 

"  I  would  do  anything  and  dare  anything  to  make 
you  think  of  yourself — even  let  you  deem  me  as 
mean  a  hound  as  my  words  implied.  You  must 
face  this  thing  resolutely.  I  have  one  thought  that 
may  give  us  hope." 

"  I  cannot  think  or  speak  of  anything  now.  I — I 
am  sorry  for  my  words  just  now." 

"  They  don't  matter  any.  If  you  had  thought  or 
said  anything  less,  you  wouldn't  have  been  yourself, 
and  I  should  have  been  disappointed  in  you.  Now, 
there's  one  thing  that  may  help  us.  Let  me  be  able 
to  tell  Colonel  Petrosch  when  he  comes  that  you  re- 
nounce all  claims  to  the  succession  and  consent  to 
leave  Belgrade  before  nightfall." 

"  Would  you  have  me  run  away  in  the  hour  of 
danger  from  a  crowd  of  dastardly  assassins?" 

"  I  would  have  you  recognise  facts  as  they  are— 
that  the  army  have  the  upper  hand,  for  the  time  at 
any  rate,  and  that  they  are  resolved  no  member  of 
your  family  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  this  country. 
I  would  have  you  save  your  life,  Princess,  by  the 
only  means  that  I  believe  it  can  be  saved." 

"  No,"  she  cried,  vehemently.  "  No  one  shall  ever 
say  I  ran  away.  That  I " 

"  Wait,"  I  interposed.    "  Don't  take  an  oath  about 


382  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

it.  An  oath  is  an  awkward  thing  to  break;  but  a 
resolve  one  can  argue  against." 

"  Nothing  shall  persuade  me  to  be  such  a  cow- 
ard." 

"  Well,  let  us  argue  it  out,"  I  answered. 

But  there  was  to  be  no  chance  of  doing  that;  for 
as  I  was  speaking  Colonel  Petrosch  and  the  Major 
entered  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

"  I  CANNOT  LEAVE  MY  COUNTRY." 

The  black  tragedy  of  the  night  had  scored  its  mark 
deep  on  Colonel  Petrosch,  and  I  shall  not  readily 
forget  the  look  of  high-wrought  strain  which  his 
face  wore.  All  the  lines  had  deepened;  the  eyes 
shone  with  unnatural  brilliance,  the  sockets  were 
sunken,  and  the  face  skin  had  that  dead  steely  colour 
which  comes  after  hours  of  fierce  and  passionate  ten- 
sion. 

He  looked  as  though  he  had  lived  ten  years  in  as 
many  hours,  and  knew  himself  to  be  still  confronted 
by  uncontrollable  dangers  full  of  the  menace  of  utter 
ruin  and  incalculable  disaster. 

Twice  before  I  had  seen  such  a  look  on  men's 
faces.  Once  in  the  case  of  a  reckless  Westerner 
who,  in  the  teeth  of  warning,  started  a  forest  fire 
only  to  see  it  spread  with  fierce  violence  down  upon 
his  own  homestead,  menacing  his  wife  and  children 
and  all  he  had  in  the  world,  and  barring  the  path  of 
rescue  with  a  wall  of  impassable  flame.  The  other 
was  a  millionaire  who,  in  a  desperate  plunge  to 
double  his  millions,  was  caught  by  the  market,  and 
had  to  look  on  helplessly  while  he  and  his  friends 
were  beggared  in  a  day. 

And  I  read  Petrosch's  look  now  to  mean  that  he 
had  helped  to  set  in  motion  this  wild  revolt  and  was 


384  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

shocked  by  the  violence  already  done  and  appalled 
by  the  prospect  of  what  might  yet  have  to  follow. 

I  was  glad  to  find  it  so.  He  might  prove  to  be  in 
a  better  mood  to  judge  on  its  merits  the  effort  I  had 
made  to  save  Gatrina.  There  had  been  enough 
horrors  already  to  glut  his  anger;  and  he  looked 
to  the  future  with  apprehension  genuine  enough  to 
render  him  willing  to  prevent  the  commission  of 
more. 

He  greeted  Gatrina  and  me  very  formally,  as  he 
and  Major  Kireef  took  their  seats  at  the  table. 

"  You  have  incurred  a  fearful  responsibility,  Mr. 
Bergwyn,"  he  began.  "  Major  Kireef  has  told  me 
the  facts.  You  have  taken  an  unwarrantable  course 
in  attempting  to  thwart  the  army's  purpose,  and 
have  used  means  which  are  inexcusable." 

"  They  were  the  only  means  I  could  find  to  use." 

"  You  have  compromised  yourself  and  all  with 
you;  you  have  opposed  the  soldiers  when  carrying 
out  the  army's  orders,  and  'have  subjected  them  to 
gross  ill-treatment,  in  order  that  you  might  obtain 
disguises  for  your  purpose.  And  in  doing  this,  you 
have  committed  acts  for  whic'h  you  must  have  known 
you  would  have  to  answer.  I  can  see  neither  excuse 
nor  palliation  for  such  conduct." 

I  made  no  reply  to  that  tirade.  I  judged  that  he 
had  not  taken  the  trouble  to  come  at  such  a  time 
merely  to  lecture  me  on  the  heinousness  of  my  con- 
duct; and  as  I  cared  nothing  for  what  he  said,  and 
only  for  what  he  meant  to  do,  I  let  him  talk. 

"  You  yourself  see  there  is  no  answer,"  he  con- 
tinued; and  went  on  to  condemn  at  considerable 


"I   CANNOT   LEAVE   MY   COUNTRY'9   385 

length  with  much  detail  the  enormity  of  my  offences, 
until  I  began  to  be  perplexed  as  to  his  motive.  He 
couldn't  have  made  the  thing  worse  had  he  been 
going  to  order  my  instant  execution. 

I  guessed  at  length,  however,  that  his  real  object 
was  to  make  me  appreciate  the  extreme  difficulty  of 
the  task  I  had  set  him  to  get  me  out  of  the  mess. 
But  the  harangue  had  a  very  different  effect  upon 
Gatrina.  The  blacker  he  made  my  conduct  appear 
and  the  more  vividly  he  painted  the  danger  in  which 
I  stood,  the  greater  was  her  manifest  agitation;  and 
when  he  declared  with  very  stern  and  significant 
deliberation  that  at  such  times  men  had  lost  their 
lives  who  had  done  less  than  I,  I  resolved  to  try  and 
stop  him. 

"  It  will  save  time,  Colonel  Petrosch,  if  you  are 
going  to  order  me  to  be  shot,  to  have  it  done  at 
once,"  I  said.  "  I  am  not  in  the  least  ashamed  of  a 
single  thing  I  have  done,  except  that  I  blundered 
and  failed." 

"  Do  I  understand  you  to  mean,  Mr.  Bergwyn," 
he  cried,  very  sternly,  "  that  you  would  "have  me 
report  to  my  colleagues  that  in  the  face  of  all  I  have 
said  you  take  pride  in  having  set  their  authority  at 
defiance? " 

A  hot  retort  rose  to  my  lips,  but  just  before  it 
passed,  I  caught  his  meaning  and  paused  to  consider 
my  reply. 

"  No,  I  don't  mean  that.  I  recognise  their  author- 
ity fully.  In  so  far  as  my  actions  have  involved  an 
apparent  defiance  of  that  authority,  I  must,  of 
course,  regret  them." 


386  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  It  would  be  impossible  for  the  army  to  take  any 
but  the  sternest  view  of  such  acts,  when  committed 
by  one  who  is  avowedly  their  enemy." 

"  You  know  better  than  anyone  in  Belgrade 
whether  I  am  to  be  classed  as  an  enemy,  Colonel.  I 
am  quite  prepared  to  recognise  their  authority  in  the 
country;  although  feeling  nothing  but  the  strongest 
aversion  from  the  hopeless  deeds  by  which  it  has 
been  enforced." 

"  These  are  no  concerns  of  yours,  sir." 

"  Except  as  they  are  the  concerns  of  humanity.  I 
do  not  set  up  to  be  the  judge  of  their  acts :  the  world 
will  do  that.  I  am  a  stranger  and  a  foreigner,  and 
speak  as  one;  no  more.  God  send  that  the  after  con- 
sequences may  prove  in  some  sort  the  justification 
for  what  has  been  done." 

"  That  is  the  prayer  of  us  all,"  he  answered,  very 
solemnly,  speaking  out  of  that  secret  fear  which  pos- 
sessed him. 

A  pause  followed  which  Gatrina  broke  to  ask: 
"  Has  any  blood  been  shed  beside  that  of  the  King 
and  Queen,  Colonel  Petrosch?" 

"  Madam,  I  cannot  speak  of  these  matters  wit^ 
you,"  he  replied,  brusquely.  "  I  came  for  other  pur- 
poses— one  of  them  to  find  a  way  if  I  can  to  place 
you  out  of — of  the  reach  of  harm."  His  hesitation 
over  the  last  phrase  was  significant;  but  the  declara- 
tion gave  me  intense  and  unbounded  satisfaction.  ^ 

"  I  will  deal  with  your  case  first,  Mr.  Bergwyn. 
May  I  take  it  that  you  regret  your  defiance  of  the 
army,  and  are  prepared  now  to  submit  yourself  un- 
conditionally to  their  authority  ?  " 


"/   CANNOT   LEAVE   MY   COUNTRY"   387 

"Unconditionally?    What  does  that  mean?" 

"  That  you  will  not  again  attempt  to  dispute  it." 

"  I  am  prepared  to  express  my  regret  and  to  rec- 
ognise their  authority." 

"  That  is  the  same  thing,"  he  said.  It  was  not,  of 
course,  but  I  concluded  he  needed  some  kind  of 
assurance  from  me;  and  when  I  had  given  it,  he  con- 
ferred in  an  undertone  with  Major  Kireef.  Then  he 
rose.  "  I  must  speak  with  you  in  private,  Mr.  Berg- 
wyn;  "  and  he  led  me  to  another  room. 

As  soon  as  we  were  alone  he  took  my  hand  and 
wrung  it. 

"  You  have  caused  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  but 
personally  I  thank  you  for  what  you  have  done.  I 
believe  you  have  saved  the  Princess's  life;  and  God 
knows  there  have  been  too  many  taken." 

"What  has  occurred?" 

"The  King  and  Queen  are  dead;  the  Queen's 
brothers  have  been  shot;  several  of  the  members  of 
the  Government  have  also  fallen;  and  the  Princess 
was  to  have  shared  the  same  fate,  because  of  her 
succession  claims.  But  it  may  be  possible  to  save 
her  now." 

"Possible  only?" 

"  I  used  the  term  advisedly — possible.  It  must 
depend  upon  the  course  of  events  to-day.  Why  did 
you  not  prevail  upon  her  to  leave  the  country  or  at 
least  seek  some  place  of  safety  ?  " 

"  You  forget.  You  told  me  nothing  of  the  im- 
minence of  these  horrors." 

"  When  I  saw  you  I  did  not  know  myself.     I 


388  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

helped  to  raise  the  storm,  but  when  once  it  broke  it 
was  ungovernable." 

"  What  will  happen  to-day?  " 

"Who  can  tell?  The  army  holds  the  power;  and 
we  believe  from  what  we  have  already  seen  that  the 
people  will  stand  behind  us  to  a  man.  The  city  has 
already  broken  out  into  rejoicings,  and  the  soldiers 
are  cheered  everywhere.  But  a  mob  is  as  fickle  as 
a  summer  breeze;  and  if  a  change  comes  over  them, 
nothing  can  save  a  conflict  which  may  deluge  the 
city,  aye,  the  whole  country  with  blood.  I  am  dazed 
when  I  think  of  it." 

"And  the  Princess?" 

"  I  would  not  answer  even  for  your  safety,  Mr. 
Bergwyn;  nor  even  for  my  own;  to  say  nothing  of 
hers.  But  I  hope  all  will  be  well.  The  leaders  of 
the  army  have  had  their  fill  of  horrors;  and  if  the 
day  finds  the  people  supporting  them,  this  night  will 
have  seen  the  last  of  these  measures  of  despair.  God 
give  that  it  may  be  so,"  he  cried  with  impressive 
earnestness.  • 

"  Let  us  get  to  details,"  I  said  after  a  pause.  I 
was  terribly  anxious  again.  "  What  do  you  advise?  " 

"  That  you  leave  Belgrade  at  once  for  a  time.  Let 
me  carry  an  expression  of  your  regret  back  with  me, 
and  a  pledge  that  the  matter  of  the  loan  will  be  con- 
sidered as  soon  as  the  new  Government  is  estab- 
lished. You  'have  acted  in  a  way  that,  had  you  been 
other  than  you  are,  the  army  would  never  have  for- 
given; but  when  once  the  present  fever  is  past,  there 
is  no  one  who  would  think  of  dealing  harshly  with 
ihe  man  who  can  render  the  assistance  you  can. 


"/   CANNOT  LEAVE   MY   COUNTRY"    389 

But  much  must  depend  on  what  happens  later  to-day 
when  the  facts  about  the  night's  doings  at  the  Palace 
are  published.  Therefore  I  say,  go  for  the  time." 

"  And  the  men  who  were  with  me  ?  " 

"  Are  they  known  ?  " 

"  I  think  not.     They  were  not  arrested." 

"  Then  no  inquiries  will  be  made;  but  it  would  be 
safer  for  them  also  to  leave  for  a  time." 

"And  now  the  great  question — the  Princess?" 

He  paused  and  looked  at  me.  "  Would  she  leave 
with  you  ?  " 

"  Would  she  be  allowed  to  leave?  " 

"  She  would  be  allowed  to  escape,"  he  answered. 
"  If  she  remains,  sftie  will  be  placed  in  confinement ; 
and  if  the  army's  plans  go  right,  she  will  be  sent  out 
of  the  country.  The  Queen's  sisters  have  been 
placed  in  similar  confinement;  and  they  too  will  be 
liberated  and  exiled  unless  trouble  comes.  If  that 
happens,  the  Princess  would  be  again  in  imminent 
peril.  She  would  be  a  menace  to  the  only  real 
solution  of  the  crisis — the  change  of  dynasty.  And 
the  army  have  given  stern  enough  proofs  of  its  re- 
solve in  that  matter.  It  has  already  decided  upon 
the  future  King — Peter  Karageorgevics." 

"  Can  I  speak  to  her  alone?  " 

"Yes!  tell  her  what  I  have  just  said;  and  if  you 
have  any  influence  with  her  use  every  shred  of  it  to 
prevail  upon  her  to  go.  You  will  be  doing  not  only 
her  a  service  but  the  country  also.  I  will  return  in 
an  hour  or  so  to  learn  the  result." 

"If  she  refuses  to  go?" 


390  THE   QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

He  threw  up  his  hands.  "  There  will  be  only  one 
course  open." 

"Arrest?" 

"  Arrest,  yes ;  with  all  its  possibilities." 

I  went  back  then  to  Gatrina,  and  her  eyes  fastened 
upon  my  face  instantly,  full  of  apprehensive  ques- 
tioning anxiety.  I  looked  probably  as  grave  as  I 
felt;  the  Colonel's  last  words  having  made  me  fully 
alive  to  the  vital  issues  which  depended  upon  the 
coming  interview;  and  her  anxiety  deepened  into 
fear  as  I  took  my  seat  without  speaking. 

An  orderly  came  in  almost  directly  with  a  mes- 
sage for  the  major,  w*ho  went  out,  and  then  we  two 
were  alone  again. 

"About  yourself?"  asked  Gatrina,  eagerly,  as  the 
door  closed  behind  them. 

"  I  have  no  longer  anything  to  fear.  All  that  the 
Colonel  said  was  for  the  other  man's  benefit,  I  think. 
I  am  free  to  leave  Belgrade  when  I  will;  and  indeed 
he  urged  me  to  do  so  at  once." 

"  I  am  glad — so  glad,"  she  answered,  with  a  wan 
smile  and  a  sigh  of  relief.  "  He  succeeded  in  fright- 
ening me.  I  did  not  realise  before  he  spoke  so,  all 
you  risked  in  this.  I  have  been  thinking  while  you 
were  with  him,  and  I  see  it  now." 

"  I  don't  think  there  was  ever  any  real  risk  of 
trouble.  I  had  his  promise  from  the  outset  to  do 
all  he  could  for  me;  and  of  course  there  were  other 
reasons." 

"  No  risk,  you  say,  after  the  conduct  of  that  awful 
man  whom  poor  old  Chris  attacked  ?  " 

"  Ah,  poor  old  dog.      How    we  shall  miss  him. 


"I   CANNOT   LEAVE   MY   COUNTRY"   391 

Yet  he  could  not  have  given  his  life  for  a  better 
cause.  If  we  ever  come  back  to  Belgrade,  I'll  have 
a  reckoning  with  that  bully." 

She  noticed  that  "  we."  She  glanced  sharply  at 
me,  and  appeared  as  if  to  be  going  to  speak  of  it,  but 
stopped.  "What  has  occurred  at  the  Palace?" 

"  The  news  is  about  as  black  as  it  can  be;  "  and  I 
told  her  all  that  Petrosch  had  said  to  me.  I  was 
relieved  to  see  that  although  she  was  deeply  and 
indeed  intensely  affected,  her  grief  was  less  poignant 
than  before.  Finding  this,  I  dwelt  with  emphasis 
upon  the  position  of  the  Queen's  sisters;  until  she 
understood  my  purpose. 

"  You  are  speaking  of  what  you  think  will  be  my 
lot,"  she  said. 

"  Yes.  I  don't  wish  to  alarm  you,  but  I  know 
that  that  is  what  will  be  done — with  this  difference: 
that  if  the  opposition  to  the  army  takes  any  active 
form,  your  danger  will  be  greater  even  than  theirs." 

"  I  am  not  afraid." 

"  No  one  thinks  that;  and  I  should  be  the  last  to 
think  it." 

"  It  is  my  duty  to  remain  at  whatever  risk."  She 
was  very  firm,  very  dignified,  very  much  the  Princess 
as  she  said  this. 

"  Do  you  wish  the  Throne?  " 

"  Do  you  mean  am  I  ambitious  to  rule?  No,  no, 
a  thousand  times  no.  I  am  not  fit  for  it.  I  am 
more  a  woman  than  a  Princess;  but  I  cannot  think 

of  myself." 

"  If   you    could    think    of    yourself    what    would 

you  do?  " 


392  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"Why  put  idle  questions?" 

"  Is  it  altogether  idle  ?  As  a  woman,  you  are 
barred  from  the  succession  by  yourself.  Even  if 
your  claims  were  admitted,  you  would  have  to  marry 
someone  who  as  your  husband  would  be  accepted  by 
the  nation  as  King;  but  he,  not  you,  would  be  the 
ruler — even  if  the  army  were  not  bent  upon  chang- 
ing the  dynasty  and  had  not  already  chosen  their 
King." 

"Is  that  so?" 

"  Yes,  Colonel  Petrosch  has  told  me ; "  and  I  re- 
peated the  message  he  had  authorised  me  to  deliver. 

"  He  told  you  to  tell  me  that?  " 

"  Yes,  expressly  and  authoritatively." 

"Why?" 

"  I  think  that  you  should  see  quite  clearly  the 
wisdom  of  adopting  the  course  which  will  help  the 
army  leaders  and  so  serve  the  country." 

"  You  mean  that  I  should  play  coward  and  run 
away.  He  set  you  to  tempt  me  ?  " 

"  Is  it  a  temptation?  " 

She  thought  earnestly  and  then  exclaimed :  "  I 
cannot  go.  I  cannot." 

It  was  not  now  "  I  will  not; "  and  I  was  glad  to 
note  the  difference. 

"  If  you  could  think  of  yourself  what  would  you 
do?  "  I  asked  again. 

"  I  answer  as  I  did  just  now — why  put  that  idle 
question  to  me?  " 

I  paused  and  then  plunged. 

"  Because — I  love  you,  Gatrina." 

"  No,  no,  no;  any  answer  but  that;  give  any  reason 


"/    CANNOT   LEAVE   MY    COUNTRY'     393 

but  that,"  she  cried,  as  the  red  flushed  into  her 
cheeks  till  they  flamed,  and  she  sank  back  in  her  seat 
and  hid  them  from  me  with  her  trembling  hands. 

I  knelt  by  her  side. 

"  It  is  the  truth,  Gatrina;  why  should  I  not  say  it? 
Once  before  our  hearts  spoke.  You  remember  that 
day  on  the  hill  at  Samac.  We  knew  it  then;  what 
need  to  'hide  it  now?  It  is  all  in  all  to  me.  What  is 
it  to  you?" 

'"  No,  no,  no,"  she  murmured  hurriedly.  She  was 
trembling  violently.  "  It  is  impossible.  It  is  im- 
possible. I  told  you  then." 

"  That  is  just  what  it  is  not  now,  whatever  it  may 
have  seemed  then.  It  is  true  I  am  only  a 

"  Hsh !  "  Just  a  whisper  and  a  hand  laid  im- 
pulsively upon  mine,  and  a  glance  of  reproach  from 
tender,  loving  eyes. 

I  closed  my  hand  on  hers  and  held  it. 

"  Well,  only  Bourgwan  then,"  I  said,  and  she 
smiled.  "  If  you  could  think  for  yourself  .  .  ."I 
began  again. 

"  No,"  she  whispered.  "  Don't  tempt  me.  You 
make  it  so  hard  for  me." 

"  It  must  be  as  you  decide,"  I  pleaded.  "  But  the 
world  holds  no  other  woman  for  me  than  you." 

At  that  she  started,  drew  her  hand  away  quickly, 
and  bit  her  lip.  "  I  had  forgotten,"  she  murmured. 

I  read  her  thought.  It  was  of  Elma's  lie.  "  In 
that  you  did  me  grave  wrong.  I  had  no  thought 
but  for  you  in  coming  here;  and  none  in  staying. 
You  might  have  trusted  me  after  that  day  at  Samac." 


394  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  I  did  not  mistrust  you.  I  thought  only  of 
your "  she  hesitated  in  sudden  embarrassment. 

"  Let  all  be  clear  now  between  us,  Gatrina.  We 
may  never  meet  again  or  we  may  never  part  again — 
as  you  decide  it.  The  stake  is  too  great  for  us  to 
risk  it  all  for  the  lack  of  plain  words.  I  know  what 
is  in  your  thoughts;  but  on  my  honour  it  was  never 
for  an  instant  in  mine,  and  never  could  be.  Do 
believe  that." 

"  I  thought  you  felt  it  would  be  impossible  for  us 
— oh,  it  is  so  difficult." 

"  Then  put  your  hand  in  mine  again  and  I  shall 
know  the  slander  is  understood." 

"  It  is  still  impossible,  Bourgwan,"  she  whispered. 
"  I  am  so  sorry;  "  and  as  is  in  pity  for  the  pain  I 
must  feel  she  gave  me  her  hand  again. 

"  If  you  could  think  for  yourself  only?  " 

"  God  knows  I  would  so  gladly  do  as  you  wish." 

It  was  sweet  but  yet  sad  hearing. 

"  I  do  wish  it  and  do  press  it,  not  for  my  sake  only 
but  for  yours,"  I  urged. 
"  I  cannot,  Bourgwan;  I  cannot  leave  my  country." 

"  That  is  final?  "  I  asked,  looking  into  her  eyes. 

"  You  make  it  so  hard  for  me.  I  cannot.  I 
cannot." 

I  lifted  "her  hand  and  pressed  my  lips  to  it.  I  had 
failed;  and  with  a  heavy  sigh  rose  and  went  back  to 
my  seat,  with  a  feeling  of  blank  desolateness. 

"  I  have  grieved  you,"  she  said  gently  when  I  had 
sat  silent  some  while.  "  And  you  have  done  so  much 
for " 

"  Not  that,  please,"  I  interposed,  forcing  a  smile. 


"/   CANNOT  LEAVE   MY   COUNTRY"   395 

"  I  can  never  forget  it,"  she  replied.  "  We  shall 
not  meet  again,  as  you  said;  but  I  can  never  forget 
it" 

"  May  I  ask  one  thing?  If  matters  go  with  you 
so  that  you  should  ever  have  to  leave  the  country, 
may  I  seek  you  again  ?  " 

"  It  is  all  sad  for  you — and  for  me,  too,  you  know 
that — but  it  is  kinder,  if  harder,  not  to  give  you 
groundless  hope." 

"  I  shall-  never  cease  to  hope." 

"  I  shall  never  leave  my  country,"  she  answered, 
earnestly. 

"  I  am  answered,  but  not  convinced,"  I  replied,  in 
quite  as  earnest  a  tone  as  hers;  and  then,  to  lighten 
the  strain,  I  smiled  and  added :  "  If  you  will  not 
leave  it,  I  may  have  to  leave  mine  and  turn  Serb." 

"  I  should  have  at  least  one  loyal  subject  then,  I 
am  sure." 

As  the  words  left  'her  lips,  the  door  opened  and 
Colonel  Petrosch  returned. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

PETROSCH   HAS  A  PLAN. 

A  single  glance  at  Colonel  Petrosch  convinced  me 
that  some  change  had  taken  place  in  the  situation 
during  his  absence  which  he  considered  favourable. 
His  step  was  less  heavy;  the  air  of  oppressed  anxious- 
ness  was  gone;  his  face  had  lost  that  depressed,  care- 
haunted,  apprehensive  look  which  I  had  seen  before; 
and  his  bearing  was  almost  confident  and  bright. 

He  went  at  once  to  the  matter  in  hand. 

"  I  am  glad  to  tell  you  you  are  free  to  leave,  Mr. 
Bergwyn,"  he  said,  with  obvious  satisfaction. 

"  I  am  deeply  obliged  to  you  for  your  interven- 
tion, Colonel." 

"  Shew  it  by  leaving  Belgrade  by  the  first  avail- 
able train  and  remaining  away  for  some  days  at  least 
until  matters  have  settled.  Then  we  shall  be  ready 
to  receive  you." 

"  You  have  had  news  which  you  consider  good?  " 
I  asked. 

"  Yes.  I  think  the  best  we  could  have.  There  is 
now  no  room  for  reasonable  doubt  that  the  people 
will  not  only  support  the  army's  action,  but  will  do 
so  with  enthusiasm.  The  news  is  known  everywhere 
now,  and  reports  from  all  over  the  city  from  all 
classes  are  to  this  effect.  Every  minute  brings 


PETROSCH   HAS  A   PLAN  397 

added  proof  of  this.  It  is  an  intense  and  consum- 
mate relief." 

"  It  is  consummate  shame  and  scandal  that  mur- 
der should  be  thus  hailed  with  acclamation,"  cried 
Gatrina,  indignantly. 

'  Those  will  be  dangerous  views  to  express  to-day, 
madam,"  said  Petrosch,  turning  to  her.  "  You  and 
I  must  of  necessity  look  upon  this  revolution  with 
very  different  feelings.  What  to  you  appears  mur- 
der, I  and  those  with  me  regard  as  the  only  gate  to 
national  liberty  which  was  left  open  to  us." 

"  Mr.  Bergwyn  has  told  me  that  many  murders 
have  been  committed  in  the  night.  There  will  be 
a  heavy  reckoning  for  each  of  them." 

"  Lives  have  been  taken,  it  is  true,  because,  as  we 
believe,  no  other  course  was  left,  if  a  violent  revolu- 
tion, followed  by  the  horrors  of  a  civil  war,  was  to  be 
avoided.  Better  for  half  a  dozen  lives  to  be  taken 
deliberately  than  as  many  thousands  in  a  civil  war. 
What  we  have  done  we  have  done ;  and  we  leave  the 
issue  to  God.  The  future  will  judge  whether  we 
have  done  right." 

"  Cold  blooded  murder  cannot  be  justified  by  an 
appeal  to  the  Almighty,"  said  Gatrina,  indignantly. 
"  Who  draws  the  sword  himself  shall  feel  the  blade. 
You  may  seem  to  be  successful;  the  people  may  shout 
for  you  and  applaud  you  because  you  are  strong;  you 
may  for  the  time  carry  all  before  you  with  a  power- 
ful hand;  but  by  this  fearsome  appeal  to  blood  you 
have  raised  a  force  which  will  crush  you  in  the  end 
with  infinite  disaster  to  the  country." 

Colonel  Petrosch  listened  with  pent  brows,  and 


398  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

replied  with  impressive  deliberation.  "  I  am  dis- 
turbed to  hear  this  from  you,  madam,  and  it  compels 
me  to  put  to  you  a  question  which  I  beg  you  to 
answer  with  due  regard  to  the  solemn  consequences 
which  your  words  may  have  for  yourself.  Do  I 
understand  you  to  mean  that  you  yourself  would 
take  part  in  any  movement  or  plans  which  might  be 
made  against  the  army  and  its  decisions,  and  for  the 
restoration  of  your  family  upon  the  throne?  " 

"  No,  no,  indeed.  God  forbid  that  for  any  mere 
personal  ends  either  word  or  act  of  mine  should  ever 
tend  to  plunge  the  country  into  the  horrors  of  such 
a  conflict." 

Alarmed  by  his  sudden  change  to  severity,  I  was 
greatly  relieved  to  hear  Gatrina's  words.  So  I  think 
was  he.  He  looked  across  to  me. 

"  Have  you  told  the  Princess  what  I  said  to  you 
before,  Mr.  Bergwyn?" 

"  Yes;  but  she  does  not  see  her  way  to  leave  the 
country." 

"  Voluntarily,  you  mean?  But  you  cannot  remain, 
madam,"  he  said  to  her.  "  It  is  absolutely  impos- 
sible." 

"  I  will  not  leave,  Colonel  Petrosch." 

He  sighed.  "  I  regret  exceedingly  to  hear  that 
unfortunate  decision  and  trust  you  will  recall  it.  I 
am  authorised  to  tell  you  that  if  you  will  sign  a  docu- 
ment abandoning  all  claim  to  the  succession  and 
leave  the  country  voluntarily,  your  property  and 
fortune  shall  not  be  forfeit." 

"  I  shall  not  change  my  decision  for  a  bribe, 
Colonel  Petrosch,"  she  answered  instantly  and 
proudly. 


PETROSCH  HAS  A   PLAN  399 

"It  is  not  meant  as  a  bribe;  but  your  presence 
will  be  an  embarrassment  to  the  new  Government, 
and  in  any  case  you  must  go.  Must:  it  is  impera- 
tive. Pray  think,  then,  before  you  set  the  Govern- 
ment at  defiance." 

"  I  have  given  my  decision,  and  nothing  will  alter 
it,  Colonel  Petrosch." 

'  That  is  your  last  word  ?  " 

"  On  that  point,  my  last  word." 

"  I  regret  it  deeply.  I  have  now  no  option  but  to 
tell  you  that  you  will  be  a  prisoner.  I  can,  at  any 
rate  for  the  present,  spare  you  the  harassment  of 
being  removed  from  your  own  house.  But  the 
house  is  in  possession  of  our  troops  and  I  must  ask 
you  to  remain  in  your  own  apartments,  pending  our 
decision  in  regard  to  your  movements." 

"  I  shall  make  no  attempt  to  run  away,"  said 
Gatrina,  getting  up  as  she  spoke. 

"Wait,"  I  broke  in.  "I  should  like  to  put  a 
question  or  two." 

Petrosch  turned  upon  me  an  inscrutable  look  and 
replied  with  a  shew  of  sternness:  "  You  can  do  noth- 
ing to  influence  our  decision  in  such  a  matter,  Mr. 
Bergwyn.  The  Princess  has  refused  our  offer.  That 
is  all." 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  I  answered,  bluntly.  "  Are  we 
to  understand  that  the  Princess  is  in  any  danger 
from  the  acts  of  your  agents?  We  have  seen  al- 
ready what  some  of  them  are  capable  of  doing." 

"  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  give  an  assurance  that 
ample  precautions  will  be  taken  for  the  Princess's 
personal  safety  during  the  few  hours  she  will  remain 


400  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

here.  If  you  will  take  counsel  from  me,  madam,  I 
would  urge  you  to  lose  no  time  in  preparing  for  your 
departure.  We  shall  decide  very  quickly.  I  will 
now  call  the  guard;  "  and  he  left  the  room. 

I  turned  to  Gatrina  and  impulsively  she  put  both 
her  hands  in  mine  and  lifted  her  face  and  smiled. 

"  Good-bye,"  she  murmured,  her  lips  quivering. 

"  I  wish  you  could  have  done  as  he  asked." 

"  I  wish  I  could — for  your  sake;  but  .  .  ."  she 
shook  her  head.  "  You  have  done  so  much  for  me. 
I  can  see  your  hand  in  all  this." 

"  Give  it  up,  Gatrina,  for  my  sake,"  I  cried,  pas- 
sionately, the  love  in  me  breaking  all  bounds.  "  You 
would  trust  yourself  to  me?" 

"  Ah,  yes,  gladly,  if  I  could  but  be  a  coward.  I 
should  be  a  happy  coward,  Bourgwan;  but  .  .  ." 

"  I  cannot  lose  you.     My  God,  I  will  not." 

"  Please,  please  be  strong  enough  for  us  both.  I 
am  so  weak  w'hen  I  think  of  you:  of  all  that  I  am 
losing.  But — I  must  stay.  You  know  that  in  your 
heart.  I  must  be  true  to  my  duty.  For  Heaven's 
sake  help  to  save  me  from  my  weakness." 

"  I  cannot  lose  you,"  I  cried  again. 

"  No,  no.  Leave  it  me  to  think  of  you  as  always 
doing  the  right  thing.  I  want  my  memory  of  you 
undimmed.  It  must  be  good-bye.  It  must." 

"  I  cannot  say  it." 

"There  is 'no  other  word  to  say,  Bourgwan.  No 
other  word.  Do  you  know  how  hard  you  are  mak- 
ing this  for  me?  "  she  added  gently  after  a  pause. 

I  caught  her  and  held  her  passionately. 

"You  love  me?" 


PETROSCH  HAS  A   PLAN  401 

Again  she  raised  'her  face,  now  close  to  mine,  and 
gazed  into  my  eyes  frankly. 

"If  I  did  not,  should  I  care?"  she  whispered. 

Slowly  I  bent  my  head  till  my  lips  touched  hers; 
and  as  they  met  she  yielded  to  me  and  kissed  me  in 
return,  and  then  let  her  head  rest  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Oh,  how  you  make  me  wish  I  were  a  coward," 
she  murmured.  "  It  is  harder  than  ever;  but  it  must 
be  good-bye." 

Gently  she  drew  away  and  put  her  hands  in  mine 
as  before. 

"  We  must  never  meet  again,  Bourgwan,"  she 
said,  with  one  of  her  sweet  smiles.  "  You  tempt  me 
so.  I  could  not  trust  myself  again." 

"  God  keep  you,  Gatrina.  Good-bye;  "  and  I 
pressed  my  lips  to  her  hand  and  then  led  her  to  the 
door. 

"  It  is  even  harder  than  the  day  at  Samac,"  she 
whispered,  smiling  again;  and  with  those  words  and 
a  last  long  look  she  passed  out,  and  I  was  alone  in 
the  room — alone  for  always. 

I  was  staring  desolately  out  into  the  garden  when 
Colonel  Petrosch  came  back. 

"  I  thought  perhaps  you  might  wish  to  say  a  word 
or  two  to  the  Princess,  Mr.  Bergwyn;  and  now  I 
want  to  speak  to  you." 

"  Yes;  what  is  it?  "  I  answered,  indifferently.  No 
thing  mattered  now.  What  he  said  or  didn't  say 
was  all  one  to  me. 

"  I  am  going  to  ask  you  for  your  confidence." 

"Well?" 

"About  the— the  Princess." 


402  THE   QUEEN'S  'ADVOCATE 

"  Except  to  know  that  she  will  be  safe,  I  would 
rather  not  speak  of  her,"  I  answered,  abruptly. 

"  I  have  heard  the  story  that  you  met  her  when 
you  were  in  the  Bosnian  hills  under  circum- 
stances .  .  ." 

But  I  wasn't  having  that  and  cut  him  short  pretty; 
brusquely. 

"  I  should  regard  any  question  on  such  a  subject 
as  verging  upon  impertinence,  Colonel  Petroscru 
Please  ask  none." 

He  smiled.  "  That  is  very  much  like  confirma- 
tion. You  must  not  lose  your  temper  with  me.  I 
am  an  old  man,  you  a  young  one,  and  I  want  to  help 
you.  If  the  Princess  had  been  other  than  .  .  ." 

"  Stop  right  there,  if  you  please,"  I  cried,  angrily. 

But  he  only  smiled.  "  Well,  I'll  put  it  another 
way.  The  Princess  is  a  very  obstinate  young  woman 
and " 

"  The  Princess  has  decided  rightly,  Colonel 
Petrosch." 

"  And  the  result  of  her  decision  is  that  in  a  few 
hours  she  will  be  sorely  in  need  of  a  friend." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"  May  I  speak  plainly  what's  in  my  mind — what 
was  in  it  when  I  went  out  of  the  room  just  now?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  returned  after  a  pause.  "  Have  I  been  a. 
fool?" 

He  did  not  answer  that  question  in  direct  terms; 
but  he  spoke  very  plainly,  and  what  he  said  answered 
it  indirectly.  We  had  a  brief  but  very  pithy  con- 
versation; and  at  the  end  of  it  I  got  up  and  shook 
his  hand  effusively  and  "  God  blessed  him,"  bade 


PETROSCH   HAS  A   PLAN  403 

him  good-bye,  and  scampered  off  to  my  house  more 
like  a  school-boy  than  a  man  of  many  cares,  and  with 
no  longer  any  thought  of  the  prospect  of  desolate 
loncil«pSs  which  had  appeared  to  threaten  me  so 
gloomily  onv,  a  few  mmutes  before. 

As  I  passed  thi^h  the  streets  there  were  already 
abundant  signs  of  the  ^oular  feeling.  Early  though 
the  hour  was,  flags  were  *ving>  decorations  being 
hurriedly  prepared,  men  and  v,^men  were  abroad 
gaily  dressed,  and  everyone  gettinfe  ready  to  join 
in  what  was  clearly  to  be  a  public  holida^. 

Death  and  terror  had  had  their  grim  reign  i. 
frowning  gloom  of  the  night;  but  the  scene 
shifted  with  the  daylight,     The  Army  were  hailed  as 
the  deliverers  of  the  people;  the  tragic  means  were" 
condoned  for  the  sake  of  the  end  attained;  and  on 
all  sides  the  people  were  making  haste  to  parade  the 
evidences  of  satisfaction  at  the  change  and  gratitude 
to  those  who  had  wrought  it. 

How  much  of  the  demonstration  was  genuine, 
how  far  it  was  wire-pulled,  or  to  what  extent  it  was 
dictated  by  that  prudence  whic'h  impels  the  crowd 
to  side  with  the  strongest  I  did  not  stop  to  think. 
?  It  was  enough  that  the  city  would  side  with  the 
Army  and  that  its  leaders  would  therefore  go  on 
with  their  work  undisturbed  by  fears  of  turbulence 
and  resistance.  That  meant  much  to  me  just  then. 

I  found  my  servants  vastly  uneasy  at  my  absence 
during  the  night.  Even  the  placid  Duller  was  ex- 
cited. 

"  Thank  God  you  have  come,  sir.  We  dursen't  go 
to  bed.  We  didn't  know  what  to  think  or  do." 


404  THE    QUEEN'S  'ADVOCATE 

"  I  daresay  you  didn't,  but  get  a  hustle  on  you 
now  and  pack  up.  I'm  leaving  in  a  couple  of  hours 
and  want  my  light  baggage  with  me.  Pick  out 
enough  for  a  few  days;  and  express  all  tbe  heavy 
trunks  to  Vienna." 

"  Thank  God,  sir,"  he  exclaimed,  fervently. 

"Well,  get  going  then-  -you'll  have  time  for 
thanksgiving  on  the  c-s»"  l  said>  as  he  hesitated. 
"'  And  tell  someor-  to  get  me  some  breakfast." 

I  dashed  '-lL°  mv  bedroom,  had  a  bath  and 
changed  out  °^  Nikolitch's  uniform — which  was  a 
£Oov  deal  the  worse  f°r  tne  night's  wear — had  my 
ixeakfast,  establishing  probably  an  American  record 
for  eating  speed,  and  sat  down  to  knock  off  the 
cables  and  letters  which  my  hurried  departure  neces- 
sitated. 

I  was  deep  in  one  to  Nikolitch  explaining  things 
and  telling  him  I  had  made  all  excuses  for  him  with 
Petrosdh,  when  Karasch  arrived. 

"  I  hardly  hoped  to  find  you "  he  began. 

"  You  must  shelve  all  that,  Karasch,"  I  inter- 
posed. '  You've  got  to  leave  the  city  with  me  in 
less  than  an  hour  from  now;  and  see  here,  take 
money  to  pay  those  men  liberally  for  what  they  did 
last  night  and  tell  them  they'd  better  hold  their 
tongues  and  skip  for  a  while.  You  must  be  at  the 
depot  in  an  hour  ready  to  go." 

"  Are  you     .     .     ." 

"  Don't  ask  a  question  now.  All  has  gone  right. 
Be  off  with  you,"  and  I  got  up  and  opened  the  door 
to  hustle  him  off.  As  I  did  so,  Elma  was  in  the  hall, 
and  Buller  was  protesting  that  I  could  not  receive 
her. 


PETROSCH   HAS  A   PLAN  405 

At  sight  of  me  she  pushed  past  him  and  came  into 
my  room.  She  was  as  full  of  agitation  as  a  setting 
hen  over  her  first  chick;  and  w<hen  she  saw  from  my 
face  that  I  was  in  high  spirits  her  astonishment  was 
boundless. 

"  I'm  leaving,"  I  said,  pithily. 

"  Running  away?  "  she  exclaimed. 
'  That's  about  the  size  of  it.     Can  I  do  anything 
for  you  in  Vienna  ?  "    I  had  no  anger  left  for  her,  or 
indeed  for  anyone. 

'  You  have  heard  the  news?" 

"  Some." 

"  About  the  murders  last  night  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Are  you  going  to  run  away  while  she  is  in 
danger  ? " 

"Who?" 

"  Who  ?  "  she  repeated  with  a  scoff.  "  Gatrina,  I 
mean,  of  course." 

"  I  don't  know  that  she's  in  any  particular  peril. 
I  called  there  last  night." 

"How  can  you  speak  so  lightly  as  that?  She 
must  be  saved  at  any  cost.  I've  come  to  offer  to  help 
you  save  her." 

"From  what?" 

"  Death,"  she  said,  with  tragic  earnestness. 

"  What  can  one  do  ?  The  army  is  all  powerful.  I 
must  think  of  myself." 

"  Good  God,  are  you  such  a  coward  ?  " 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders.  "  A  man  must  think 
of  his  own  life.  I've  no  fancy  to  risk  mine." 

Her  face  was  a  study  in  contempt.  "  You  mean 
you  will  not  attempt  to  save  her  ?, " 


406  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  I  tell  you  I'm  bolting.  I  don't  suppose  her  fate 
will  be  anything  very  terrible,  and  perhaps  after  all 
she  deserves  it.  Anyway,  I  shall  not  think  of  op- 
posing the  army  in  the  matter." 

She  drew  her  breath  quickly  and  looked  at  me 
with  almost  fierce  disdain.  "  You  coward !  Oh, 
you  coward,"  she  cried. 

"  I  suppose  it  isn't  very  brave.  But  then  I  never 
set  up  for  a  hero." 

"  But  if  I  tell  you  that  I  know  her  death  has  been 
decided  upon  and  that  if  you  will  help,  we  can  save 
her?" 

"  It  wouldn't  make  any  difference  to  me.  You  see 
I'm  packed  up,  and  even  my  train  is  chosen.  I 
simply  can't  stop.  Besides,  I  expect  you've  been 
misinformed." 

"  I  tell  you  I  know  it,"  she  cried,  fiercely,  as  if 
seeking  to  rouse  me. 

"  Then  I'm  afraid  the  bottom  will  be  knocked  out 
of  your  marriage  scheme  in  regard  to  her.  Still,  I 
daresay  you'll  hatch  another." 

This  was  the  limit.  She  fell  back  a  pace,  stared  at 
me  aghast,  and  then  broke  out  into  a  violent  tirade 
of  denunciation  and  abuse  of  my  cowardice  and  gen- 
erally contemptible  conduct. 

"  Now,  let  me  say  half  a  dozen  plain  words, 
Baroness,"  I  replied,  when  she  paused  for  lack  of 
breath.  "  During  the  last  days  I  have  been  here 
you  have  done  your  utmost  against  me;  every 
weapon  you  could  find  you  have  used  without 
scruple  to  try  and  ruin  me.  You  failed  every  time; 
and  now  you  come  with  some  other  plan  in  that 


PETROSCH   HAS  A   PLAN  407 

subtle  and  beautiful  head  of  yours  to  try  and  lure 
me  into  a  last  net.  For  the  time  I  came  very  near 
to  fearing  you;  I  don't  like  saying  ugly  things  to  a 
woman;  and  I'll  just  content  myself  with  the  confes- 
sion that  I  no  longer  fear  anything  you  can  do,  and 
pay  no  heed  whatever  to  anything  you  can  say. 
That's  all.  And  now,  as  I'm  busy  getting  ready  to 
run  away,  as  you  call  it,  I  must  ask  you  to  excuse 
me." 

"  You  have  some  other  scheme?  "  she  cried. 

"  You  can  put  it  that  I'm  running  away;  and  leave 
it  at  that." 

"  I  don't  believe  it." 

"  That's  not  polite,  to  say  the  least  of  it."  I  rang 
the  bell.  "  Buller,  have  you  packed  up  yet?"  I 
asked  when  he  came. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"And  directed  that  the  heavy  luggage  is  ex- 
pressed through  to  Vienna?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"And  the  carriage?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  It  will  be  at  the  door  in  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,  sir." 

"  That  will  do.    You  hear  that?"  I  asked  Elma. 

She  made  a  gesture  of  angry  impatience.  "  I  can't 
understand  you." 

"  It  means  good-bye,  Baroness.  I  have  still  some 
letters  to  finish  and  arrangements  to  complete,  and 
have,  as  you  hear,  only  fifteen  minutes.  I  part  with- 
out any  anger;  "  and  I  held  out  my  hand. 

"  I  will  save  Gatrina  without  you,"  she  exclaimed, 
not  taking  my  hand. 


408  THE   QUEEN'S   'ADVOCATE 

"  I  don't  think  any  one  can  do  that,  but  it's  very 
good  of  you  to  try,"  I  replied  with  a  conventional 
smile. 

This  appeared  to  kindle  all  her  rage  again  to  white 
heat.  She  stared  at  me  a  moment,  then  raised  her 
arms  above  her  head  and  with  a  passionate  ejacula- 
tion of  disgust,  swept  out  of  the  room. 

Her  complete  mystification  and  indignant  wrath 
gave  me  intense  satisfaction,  and  with  a  chuckle  of 
enjoyment  I  sat  down  again  and  finished  my  letters 
just  in  time  to  drive  hurriedly  to  the  depot  and  catch 
my  train. 

But  I  did  not  take  tickets  for  Vienna,  for  that  was 
not  my  destination. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE    CAMP   AGAIN. 

Buller's  patience  and  respectful  stolidity  were 
sorely  strained  that  day.  In  the  first  place  I  told 
him  nothing  about  our  destination;  and  when  we 
made  several  changes  during  the  journey  only  to 
alight  at  the  exceedingly  unpromising  depot  at 
Samac  in  the  afternoon,  his  manner  began  to  afford 
me  genuine  amusement. 

"  Do  we  wait  here  long  for  the  train,  sir  ? "  he 
asked,  as  if  the  sooner  we  were  off  again  the  better. 

"  Only  until  Karasch  can  get  a  carriage  or  some 
horses,  Buller.  I  suppose  you  can  ride,  by  the  by?  " 

"  Yes,  sir;  that  is — oh,  yes,  sir — a  little." 

Karasch  got  four  horses  after  some  difficulty  but 
no  carriage;  one  to  carry  my  valises.  They  were 
four  rank  bad  animals;  but  they  carried  us  to  Poabja, 
albeit  with  much  discomfort  for  Buller.  But  his  dis- 
gust appeared  to  reach  a  climax  when  he  saw  the 
little  inn  and  I  told  him  it  was  our  hotel. 

"  That,  sir  ?  "  he  exclaimed  incredulously,  with  a 
very  wry  face. 

"  They  have  some  excellent  black  bread  there, 
Buller,  and  the  water  is  as  fine  as  any  in  the  district." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  replied  mechanically,  as  he  got  off 
his  horse  awkwardly.  He  was  very  stiff  and  discom- 
fited. "  Beg  pardon,  sir,  but  do  we  stay  long  here  ?  " 
he  asked,  dejectedly. 


410  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Not  more  than  a  month  or  two — till  we  start  to 
rough  it  in  the  hills." 

He  groaned  and  his  face  fell  so  that  I  laughed,  and 
to  hide  it  dismounted  and  told  him  to  go  into  the 
house  and  make  such  arrangements  as  he  could  for 
our  accommodation,  without  mentioning  my  name. 
"  Be  very  guarded,  Buller,  for  much  hangs  upon 
your  discretion,  and  I  don't  want  our  lives  to  be  im- 
perilled by  any  loose  talk." 

Then  I  walked  away  up  the  narrow  hilly  street, 
whistling.  I  was  in  such  spirits  that  I  could  not 
resist  the  temptation  of  playing  this  small  joke  upon 
my  superlatively  proper  and  decorous  servant.  In 
my  humour,  the  veriest  trifle  set  me  smiling,  the 
minutest  detail  of  life  in  the  little  place  interested 
me. 

The  children  came  out  to  stare  at  me  and  I  scat- 
tered some  small  coins  among  them  and  brought 
them  about  me  in  a  scrambling,  laughing,  boisterous 
crowd.  Some  of  the  men  recognised  me;  and  I 
stopped  now  and  again  to  exchange  a  word  or  two 
with  them  and  gave  them  money.  The  whole  of  the 
little  street  was  full  of  smiling  faces  and  I  had  such 
a  body  guard  when  I  reached  Father  Michel's  cot- 
tage, that  the  good  priest  came  out  in  some  surprise 
to  learn  the  cause  of  the  clatter. 

"  I  need  your  protection  again,  father,"  I  cried 
cheerily;  "  but  from  a  different  sort  of  crowd  this 
time.  Let  me  come  in  and  talk  to  you,  and  send 
these  young  brigands  away.  They  take  me  for  the 
witch  this  time  with  a  power  to  coin  money." 

"  I  bid  you  welcome,  sir,"  he  said  gravely  as  he 


THE   CAMP   AGAIN  411 

bade  the  youngsters  run  home  and  led  me  indoors. 
I  was  closeted  with  him  for  an  hour  or  more,  tell- 
ing him  many  things  which  vastly  surprised  him, 
gaining  his  help  for  the  purpose  I  had  in  view,  pre- 
paring him  for  what  was  coming,  and  binding  him 
to  secresy  until  the  time  arrived  for  all  to  be  ex- 
plained. 

When  I  got  back  to  the  inn  Karasch,  as  the  result 
of  my  instructions  had  a  carriage  ready,  and  Buller 
looking  very  glum  and  very  much  out  of  his  element 
was  standing  by  a  saddle  horse  for  me. 

'  You  can  go  on,  Karasch,  I  shall  overtake  you," 
I  said,  and  he  drove  off. 

"Am  I  not  to  go,  sir?"  asked  Buller,  nervously. 
"  No,  Buller,  thank  you.     You  stay  here.     And 
mind,  don't  get  quarrelling;  these  people  are  very 
good-natured,  but  very  handy  with  the  knife." 

"  Beg  pardon,  sir,  but  how  long  am  I  to  stay  here 
alone?" 

'  You're  not  frightened,  are  you  ?  " 
"  No,  I  hope  not,  sir,  but  if  anything's  likely  to 
happen — to  you,  sir,  I  mean  I'd  like  to  know  of  it, 
in  case  I  could  help." 

"  I  think  I've  done  you  some  injustice,  Buller  ind 
I'm  sorry."  I  was  pleased  by  his  words.  "  Notning 
will  happen — nothing  dangerous  that  is.  All  is  as 
right  as  it  could  be.  I've  come  here  for  a  special 
purpose ;  and  we  shall  all  be  away  to-morrow  or  very 
soon  after,  for  Vienna  I  expect.  All  you  need  do  is 
— to  amuse  yourself  for  an  hour  or  two.  If  you  go 
out,  walk  down  the  hill  and  not  up;  I  don't  want  you 
to  be  seen  up  that  way.  I  shall  be  back  soon  after 


412  THE    QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

dark;  and  you  can  hunt  around  and  get  me  the  best 
thing  in  the  way  of  dinner  you  can  contrive. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  he  said  in  a  tone  of  obvious 
relief;  and  stepped  back,  as  I  mounted  and  rode  after 
Karasch  on  the  road  back  to  the  station  at  Samac. 

"  All  you've  got  to  be  careful  about,  Karasch,"  I 
told  him  when  we  reached  there;  "  is  not  to  let  your 
face  be  seen.  It's  quite  dark,  so  there's  very  little 
risk." 

I  tethered  my  horse  out  of  sight  and  walked  up 
the  little  hill  where  Gatrina  and  I  had  had  our  talk 
that  day,  and  waited  there,  thinking  of  her  and  of 
much  that  had  passed  since  we  had  parted  there, 
and  she  had  sent  poor  old  Chris  back  to  me.  The 
picture  was  very  vivid  in  my  thoughts;  her  retreat- 
ing figure  on  the  winding  path,  and  the  old  dog  com- 
ing slowly  up  the  path  toward  me  and  turning  to 
look  after  her;  when  the  reverie  was  broken  by  the 
noise  of  the  coming  train,  and  I  hurried  down  the 
hill  back  to  the  station. 

I  found  a  spot  where  I  could  get  close  enough  to 
observe  what  occurred  without  being  seen. 

The  last  car  was  a  saloon  from  which  three  men  in 
the  uniform  of  officers  alighted.  One  of  them  turned 
and  helped  out  a  lady,  a  somewhat  portly  person 
who  appeared  to  be  stiff  and  cramped  with  a  long 
journey.  Then  without  assistance  another  lady 
stepped  out  and  looked  about  her  as  if  recognising 
the  place. 

All  five  passed  through  the  station  house,  and  one 
of  the  men  spoke  to  Karasch,  who  murmured  some 
reply  and  touched  his  hat.  Four  of  them  entered  the 


THE   CAMP   AGAIN  413 

carriage  and  the  fifth  got  up  by  Karasch  who  then 
Jrove  off. 

The  station  master  and  his  assistants  stood  look- 
ing after  the  carriage  and  gossipping  with  three 
peasants  and  a  woman,  the  only  other  passengers  by 
the  train;  and  were  still  discussing  the  possible 
meaning  of  the  unusual  event  as  I  mounted  and  rode 
away. 

I  kept  well  behind  but  I  was  near  enough  to  the 
carriage  when  it  reached  the  priest's  house  to  see 
him  come  out,  exchange  a  few  words  with  the 
officers,  and  then  lead  someone  into  the  house. 
He  returned  and  spoke  again  to  the  officers,  all  three 
of  whom  entered  the  carriage  which  passed  me 
directly  afterwards  on  the  return  to  Samac. 

I  rode  on  to  the  inn,  and  having  an  hour  to  wait,  I 
filled  up  the  time  by  changing  my  clothes  and  eating 
the  dinner  which  Buller  had  had  prepared.  I  was 
in  a  condition  of  intense  nervous  excitement,  and 
kept  glancing  at  my  watch  wishing  the  time  to  pass, 
impatient  of  the  delay.  I  was  intensely  absorbed  by 
the  thought  of  what  was  to  follow,  and  yet  curiously 
conscious  of  Buller's  consequential  pride  at  having 
provided  so  good  a  meal  under  such  circumstances 
and  profound  disappointment  at  my  failure  to  be 
impressed  by  his  cleverness. 

At  last  the  time  was  up  and  I  started  for  the 
priest's  house,  followed  by  a  look  of  blank  dismay 
from  Buller  because  I  left  before  his  chief  dish  was 
served.  I  was  half  way  up  the  street  when  the 
reason  of  his  look  flashed  upon  me,  and  I  burst  out 
laughing. 


414 

Some  one  was  waiting  for  me  in  the  priest's  gar- 
den and  fetched  him  immediately. 

"  She  is  very  sad  and  depressed,  but  she  asked  to 
be  brought  to  me,  it  seems.  She  is  in  there;  "  and 
he  pointed  to  a  door  which  stood  ajar. 

I  pushed  it  open  and  entered. 

She  was  sitting  with  her  back  to  the  door  in  a 
very  dejected  attitude,  and  thinking  it  was  Father 
Michel  who  had  returned,  she  did  not  look  round, 
but  said,  as  I  closed  the  door: 

"  You  have  many  calls  on  your  time." 

"  Well,  I've  been  pretty  busy  during  the  last 
week,"  I  answered. 

She  jumped  up  at  the  sound  of  my  voice  and 
turned  to  me  a  face  pale  for  a  fleeting  second  and 
then  flushing  with  the  glory  of  rich,  deep  crimson. 

"  Bourgwan ! " 

"Yes,  Mademoiselle,  Bourgwan,  no  other;"  and 
I  stretched  my  hands  to  her. 

She  held  hers  back  and  tried  to  look  indignant. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  " 

"  You  must  blame  Petrosch.  He's  the  villain  of 
the  piece." 

Despite  her  efforts  her  eyes  smiled. 

"  This  is  a  conspiracy,  then,"  she  cried. 

"  That's  about  the  size  of  it.  They've  been  pretty 
plentiful  lately,  you  see." 

"  I  had  no  idea     .     .     ." 

"  That  was  the  conspiracy,  of  course,"  I  broke 
in.  "  He's  a  subtle  villain,  Petrosch.  I  was  a  mere 
child  in  his  hands." 

The  smile  was  spreading  very  fast  all  over  her  face 
now. 


THE   CAMP  AGAIN  415 

"  I  ought  to  be  very  angry,"  she  exclaimed. 
'  Yes,  he's  broken  up  all  my  plans  shamefully. 
Instead  of  being  in  Vienna  on  my  way  back  to  the 
States,  here  I  am,  just  Bourgwan  again,  and  you're 
just  Mademoiselle.  And  goodness  knows  now  what's 
going  to  happen." 

We  both  laughed  then  and  she  no  longer  held 
back  her  hands.  I  held  them  instead. 

"  I  don't  understand  yet  in  the  least." 

"  Well,  you  see  it  was  like  this.  I  thought  you 
would  rather  that  Father  Michel  than  any  other 
priest  should " 

"  Bourgwan !  "  she  cried,  quickly. 

"  Wasn't  that  right?  "  I  asked,  with  an  air  of  inno- 
cence. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  Colonel  Petrosch     .     .     ." 

'*  Yes.   He's  a  dreadful  scoundrel  to  guess  things." 

"  Do  you  know  that  I  am  a  beggar  and  an  exile  ?  " 
'  Yes,  indeed.  He  told  me  all  about  it;  and  I  was 
awfully  glad.  There's  another  country  over  seas 
which  will  be  glad  to  adopt  you.  It's  a  free  country, 
too;  with  a  home  in  it  where  we  shan't  be  quite  beg- 
gars." 

"  Bourgwan !     I  told  you  it  was  impossible." 

"  And  I  told  you  that  we're  forgetting  how  to  spell 
that  word  in  the  States;  although  I  came  near  learn- 
ing it  in  Belgrade." 

"  But  I— I  have  nothing." 

"  Oh  yes,  you  have.  You  can  draw  a  bill  on  the 
bank  of  my  affection  and  I'll  honour  it  right  now — 
to  any  amount." 

"  You  make  a  jest  of  it,"  she  said,  now  between 
laughter  and  tears. 


4i6  THE  QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

"  Well,  don't  you  think  they  made  things  serious 
enough  for  us  in  Belgrade?  What  you've  got  to  do 
is  just  to  forget  all  that,  and  to  laugh  and  be  glad — 
if  you  are  glad;  and  then  to — well,  there  is  some- 
thing else  to  do ; "  and  I  looked  grave. 

"What  is  that?" 

"  It's  a  very  serious  thing,  very  serious,  indeed., 
But  I  think  I  ought  to  tell  you,  and  I  think  you 
ought  to  do  it  if  your  laughter  is  to  ring  true." 

"  Are  you  in  earnest  ?  " 

"  Yes,  quite.  Did  you  know  that  ""when  we  were 
{here  before  there  was  a  man  very  badly  wounded — 
desperately,  in  fact.  I  was  speaking  to  Father 
Michel  to-day  about  it  and  I  told  him  I  was  sure 
you  would  not  like  to  have  such  a  thing  on  your 
conscience  without  doing  all  you  could  to  help  him. 
That  was  right,  wasn't  it  ?  " 

"  Of  course.  Was  it  that  struggle  in  the  street 
here?" 

"  No,  the  man  doesn't  belong  to  Poabja;  but  he 
was  here  to-day.  The  poor  fellow  will  never  get 
over  the  wound.  And  he  blames  you,  and  feels  that 
you  alone  can  save  him." 

"  Wound?    Blames  me?    What  can  I  do?" 

"  Marry  him." 

"  Bourgwan ! "  she  cried,  changing  on  the  instant 
(from  puzzled  pity  to  laughing  confusion ;  and  then — 
vwell,  no  matter  what  then. 

Soon  afterwards  we  sat  down  together  and  had  a 
good,  square  talk  which  did  not  end  until  she  had 
agreed  that  we  had  better  consult  Father  Michel 
about  the  details. 


THE   CAMP   AGAIN  417 

I  was  a  happier  man  than  ever  when,  after  a  very 
informal  little  ceremony  in  Father  Michel's  quaint, 
crude  church  very  early  in  the  morning,  we  started 
to  indulge  a  mutual  wish  to  have  a  last  Took  at  the 
camp  which  had  been  so  much  to  us. 

What  a  ride  that  was !  What  memories  it  roused ! 
How  delighted  was  Gatrina  with  everything!  And 
in  what  spirits !  How  we  chattered  and  laughed,  and 
laughed  and  chattered,  forgetting  for  the  time,  self- 
ishly if  you  will  in  our  own  happiness,  the  gloom 
and  tragedy  from  which  we  had  just  emerged.  The 
world  appeared  all  bright  and  glorious  for  us,  and 
care  and  trouble  far  away. 

Karasch  was  with  us,  of  course;  solemn,  reserved 
and  taciturn  as  ever;  but  breaking  into  a  sort  of 
grim  smile  whenever  Gatrina  spoke  to  him  to  point 
out  some  bit  of  the  road  where  some  incident  of  that 
other  ride  had  occurred. 

Buller  I  packed  off  to  Samac  to  go  by  rail  and 
meet  us  afterwards  at  a  place  to  which  we  could  get 
the  train  from  Tuzla  on  the  other  side  of  the  camp. 
He  did  not  belong  to  our  hill  comradeship  and 
would  have  been  in  the  way.  , 

We  were  careful  to  have  a  guide  this  time;  and 
how  we  laughed  now  when  he  told  us  we  must  have 
come  at  least  ten  or  fifteen  miles  out  of  our  way  dur- 
ing that  comradeship  ride  of  ours  by  the  compass. 
We  could  laugh  at  anything. 

We  turned  aside  to  visit  the  hill  where  we  had 
slept  on  the  morning  after  the  check  by  the  two 
rivers,  and  Gatrina  recognised  with  a  positive  relish 


4i8  THE    QUEEN'S  ADVOCATE 

the  spot  where  she  had  washed  on  the  brink  of  the 
stream. 

And  when  at  last  we  came  near  the  long,  stiff  hill 
in  the  middle  of  which  was  the  ravine  leading  to  the 
camp,  her  excitement  and  pleasure  were  greater 
than  ever.  We  chattered  just  like  two  glad  chil- 
dren, first  about  the  incidents  of  her  flight  and 
rescue,  and  then  about  that  little  contest  of  wills  we 
had  had  the  following  morning,  and  indeed  about 
every  incident  of  the  time  at  the  camp. 

Then  came  the  camp  itself,  and  Gatrina's  un- 
bounded surprise  that  already  men  were  there  get- 
ting ready  for  the  mining  work.  I  told  her  what  I 
had  done  in  Vienna  and  that  in  the  superintendent 
we  might  look  to  find  our  old  enemy,  Captain 
Hanske,  the  Austrian  official  with  whom  we  had 
taken  such  rough  liberties  that  memorable  night. 

We  could  stay  but  an  hour  there  if  we  were  to 
reach  Tuzla  before  nightfall,  the  guide  told  us;  and 
Gatrina  and  I  spent  the  first  few  minutes  in  the  little 
hut  which  she  had  occupied. 

It  was  a  place  full  of  mingled  reminiscences  for 
us;  and  while  we  were  there  our  thoughts  slipped 
back  to  the  moment  when,  as  I  knew  and  my  sweet 
wife  now  confessed,  we  had  fallen  in  love. 

"  I  think  I  knew  it  first,"  she  said,  with  a  winsome 
blush,  "  when  we  came  back  here  alone  after  that 
trial  of  will,  Bourgwan.  You  were  very  obstinate; 
but  I — I — I  won't  tell  you  any  more." 

"  I  knew  it  before  that;  when  you  stood  at  bay 
against  those  scoundrels  out  on  the  hills  there.  But 
you  must  have  thought  me  an  awful  scarecrow." 


THE   CAMP   AGAIN  419 

"  I  did  think  you  were  a  peasant,  when  I  knew  you 
were  not  a  brigand.  And  when  I  found  out  my  mis- 
take, I  could  have  bitten  out  my  tongue  for  the  way  I 
had  spoken  to  you." 

"  I  was  a  brigand.    I  stole  your  heart." 

She  looked  up  with  a  bright,  merry  smile  and  was 
about  to  answer  when  some  noise  and  confusion  out- 
side startled  her. 

"What's  that?"  she  asked. 

"  Quite  realistic — like  it  used  to  be.     We'll  see." 

We  went  out  and  I  laughed  aloud  at  what  we  saw. 
Karasch  had  been  seized  by  a  couple  of  men  who 
were  leading  him  towards  us  while  the  little  Austrian 
ex-official,  now  the  superintendent,  was  abusing1 
him  volubly  and  with  almost  frantic  gesticulations. 

He  was  a  sharp  fellow  and  the  instant  his  eyes  fell 
on  us  he  recognised  us,  and  calling  some  more  men 
from  the  tent,  he  ran  toward  me  shouting,  "  Here's 
the  other  man.  So  we  meet  at  last,  eh?  And  you, 
too  ?  "  he  cried  to  Gatrina,  who  was  inclined  to  be 
frightened  and  held  my  arm  tight. 

"  You  have  good  eyes  and  a  keen  memory  for 
faces,  Captain  Hanske.  I  congratulate  you.  We 
only  met  in  the  dark  and  I  see  you  recognise  us." 

"  Ah,  you  admit  it,  you  admit  it,  do  you?  "  he  said, 
very  excitedly.  "  Now  I'll  shew  you  what  it  is  to 
assault  me,  and  I'll  know  who  you  are  and  all  about 
you." 

"  There  isn't  the  least  doubt  about  that.  But  don't 
be  excited.  I  am  Mr.  Bergwyn,  the  American,  as- 
sociated with  Graf  von  Hartstein  of  Vienna  in  work- 
ing the  mines  here.  I  told  him  how  I  had  treated 


420 

you  that  night  and  as  a  recompense  had  you  ap- 
pointed here." 

His  jaw  dropped  as  he  gazed  at  me  in  amazement. 

The  silence  was  broken  by  a  laugh,  deep,  raucous 
and  loud,  from  Karasch — the  only  loud  laugh  I  ever 
heard  from  him. 

"  It's  all  right,  superintendent,"  I  added.  "  I  can 
understand  your  bewilderment  and  your  mistake. 
Tell  me  how  the  work  promises.  Let  Karasch  there 
go." 

"  Mr.  Bergwyn,"  he  stammered,  "  I  am — I  don't 
know  what  to  say." 

"  Then  don't  try.  We've  had  enough  of  it.  Just 
show  the  things." 

He  was  a  very  humble  and  bewildered  superin- 
etndent  then,  and  so  ashamed  that  Gatrina  spoke  to 
him  to  try  and  put  him  at  his  ease  while  he  shewed 
us  about  the  place  until  the  guide  sent  word  that  we 
must  start. 

We  were  standing  in  the  tent  then  and  were  alone. 

"  This  is  where  you  had  the  fight  with  Karasch, 
Bourgwan,  and  his  arm  was  broken,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Yes,  when  Chris,  the  other  member  of  the  com- 
radeship was  on  guard  with  you." 

"  Dear  old  Chris,"  she  replied.    "  I  am  so  sorry." 

"  Something  else  happened  here  beside  that  fight." 

"What  was  that?" 

"  You  told  me  just  now  when  you  think  you — 
knew.  Well,  it  was  here  I  first  hoped." 

"  Hoped  ?  "  she  cried,  her  face  wrinkling  and  her 
eyes  questioning. 


THE   CAMP   AGAIN  42I 

'Yes,  hoped.      You  remember  I  lay  here    after 
that  blow  on  the  head." 

'  Yes,  there ;  "  and  she  pointed  to  the  very  spot. 

"  Some  one  watched  by  me  here,  when  I  was  un- 
conscious." 

She  began  to  understand. 

'  You  mean  Chris  ?  "  she  asked  with  an  air  of  un- 
concern. 

"  No;  I  mean  I  wasn't  unconscious  quite  so  long 
as  you  thought  and  you " 

"  Bourgwan !  The  guide  says  we  must  go,"  she 
cried  quickly,  with  a  lovely  blush. 

"  And  when  you  did,  I  began  to  hope." 

"  We  mustn't  keep  him  any  longer." 

"  I  think  he  could  wait  while  you — do  it  again." 

But  she  laughed  and  tossed  her  head  and  walked 
out  of  the  tent. 

As  we  crossed  to  the  horses,  she  said :  "  I  don't 
know  what  you  must  have  thought." 

"  I  thought  you  might  do  it  again  so  I  remained 
unconscious." 

As  I  put  her  on  her  horse,  she  whispered :  "  I  was 
going  to,  but  Karasch  came;"  and  then  shook  the 
the  reins  and  started. 

I  caught  her  up  a  moment  afterwards  and  by  a 
mutual  impulse  we  turned  and  had  a  last  look.  It 
was  a  wild,  meagre,  rough,  dirty  and  abominably 
squalid  place — but  very  dear  to  us. 

"  Good-bye,  old  comradeship  camp,"  said  Gatrina, 
smiling,  with  a  tear  in  close  attendance,  I  think.  "  It 
might  be  lovelier,"  she  added,  "  but  it  couldn't  be 
dearer  in  my  thoughts." 


422  THE   QUEEN'S   ADVOCATE 

"  Nor  in  mine — for  it  gave  me  you." 
"  And  me  my  Bourgwan — I  may  well  love  it." 
We  sat  on  the  horses  just  gazing  back,  both  heart 
full,  until  the  silence  was  broken  by  a  shout  from  the 
now  impatient    guide;  and  we   wheeled  about  and 
hurried  after  him. 


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"Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

Among  the  old  favorites  in  the  field  of  what  Is  known  as  historical  fic- 
tion, there  are  none  which  appeal  to  a  larger  number  of  Americans  than 
Horseshoe  Robinson,  and  this  because  it  is  the  only  story  which  depict* 
with  fidelity  to  the  facts  the  heroic  efforts  of  the  colonists  In  South  Caro- 
lina to  defend  their  homes  against  the  brutal  oppression  of  the  British 
under  such  leaders  as  Cornwallis  and  Tarleton. 

The  reader  is  charmed  with  the  story  of  love  which  forms  the  thread 
of  the  tale,  and  then  impressed  with  the  wealth  of  detail  concerning  those 
times.  The  picture  of  the  manifold  sufferings  of  the  people,  is  never  over- 
drawn, but  painted  faithfully  and  honestly  by  one  who  spared  neither 
time  nor  labor  in  his  efforts  to  present  in  this  charming  love  story  all  that 
price  in  blood  and  tears  which  the  Carolinians  paid  as  their  share  in  tha 
-winning  of  the  republic. 

Take  it  all  in  all,  "Horseshoe  Robinson"  is  a  work  which  should  be 
found  on  every  book-shelf,  not  only  because  it  is  a  most  entertaining 
story,  but  because  of  the  wealth  of  valuable  information  concerning  the 
colonists  which  it  contains.  That  it  has  been  brought  out  once  more,  well 
Illustrated,  is  something  which  will  give  pleasure  to  thousands  who  have 
long  desired  an  opportunity  to  read  the  story  again,  and  to  the  many  who 
liave  tried  vainly  in  these  latter  days  to  procure  a  copy  that  they  might 
read  it  for  the  first  time. 

THE  PEARL  OF  ORR'S  ISLAND.  A  story  of  the  Coast  of  Maine.  By 
Harriet  Beecher  Stowe.  Cloth,  izmo.  Illustrated.  Price,  $1.00. 

"Written  prior  to  1862,  the  "Pearl  of  Orr's  Island"  is  ever  new;  a  book 
filled  with  delicate  fancies,  such  as  seemingly  array  themselves  anew  each 
time  one  reads  them.  One  sees  the  "sea  like  an  unbroken  mirror  all 
around  the  pine-girt,  lonely  shores  of  Orr's  Island,"  and  straightway 
comes  "the  heavy,  hollow  moan  of  the  surf  on  the  beach,  like  the  wild 
angry  howl  of  some  savage  animal." 

Who  can  read  of  the  beginning  of  that  sweet  life,  named  Mara,  which 
came  into  this  world  under  the  very  shadow  of  the  Death  angel's  wings, 
without  having  an  intense  desire  to  know  how  the  premature  bud  blos- 
somed? Again  and  again  one  lingers  over  the  descriptions  of  the  char- 
acter of  that  baby  boy  Moses,  who  came  through  the  tempest,  amid  the 
angry  billows,  pillowed  on  his  dead  mother's  breast. 

There  is  no  more  faithful  portrayal  of  New  England  life  than  that 
•which  Mrs.  Stowe  gives  in  "The  Pearl  of  Orr's  Island." 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  pub- 
lishers, A,  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  52-58  Duane  St.,  New  York, 


Good  Fiction  Worth  Reading. 

A  series  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favorites  in  the  field 
of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful  romances  of  love  and  diplomacy 
that  excel  in  thrilling  and  absorbing  interest. 


DARNLEY.  A  Romance  of  the  times  of  Henry  VIII.  and  Cardinal  Wolsey. 
By  G.  P.  R.  James.  Cloth,  izmo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis. 
Price,  {i.oo. 

In  point  of  publication,  "Darnley"  is  that  work  by  Mr.  James  which 
follows  "Richelieu,"  and,  if  rumor  can  be  credited,  it  was  owing  to  the  ad- 
vice and  insistence  of  our  own  Washington  Irving  that  we  are  indebted 
primarily  for  the  story,  the  young  author  questioning  whether  he  could 
properly  paint  the  difference  in  the  characters  of  the  two  great  cardinals. 
And  it  Is  not  surprising  that  James  should  have  hesitated;  he  had  been 
eminently  successful  in  giving  to  the  world  the  portrait  of  Richelieu  as  a 
man,  and  by  attempting  a  similar  task  with  Wolsey  as  the  theme,  was 
much  like  tempting  fortune.  Irving  insisted  that  "Darnley"  came  natur- 
ally in  sequence,  and  this  opinion  being  supported  by  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
the  author  set  about  the  work. 

As  a  historical  romance  "Darnley"  is  a  book  that  can  be  taken  up 
pleaeurably  again  and  again,  for  there  is  about  It  that  subtle  charm  which 
those  who  are  strangers  to  the  works  of  G.  P.  R.  James  have  claimed  was 
cnly  to  be  imparted  by  Dumas. 

If  there  was  nothing  more  about  the  work  to  attract  especial  attention, 
the  account  of  the  meeting  of  the  kings  on  the  historic  "field  of  the  cloth  of 
gold"  would  entitle  the  story  to  the  most  favorable  consideration  of  every 
reader. 

There  is  really  but  little  pure  romance  in  this  story,  for  the  author  has 
taken  care  to  imagine  love  passages  only  between  those  whom  history  has 
credited  with  having  entertained  the  tender  passion  one  for  another,  and 
lie  succeeds  in  making  such  lovers  as  all  the  world  must  love. 

CAPTAIN  BRAND,  OF  THE  SCHOONER  CENTIPEDE.  By  Ijeut. 
Henry  A.  Wise,  U.S.  N.  (Harry  Gringo).  Cloth,  izmo.  with  four  illustra- 
tions by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

The  re-publication  of  this  story  will  please  those  lovers  of  sea  yarns 
•who  delight  in  so  much  of  the  salty  flavor  of  the  ocean  as  can  come  through 
the  medium  of  a  printed  page,  for  never  has  a  story  of  the  sea  and  those 
"who  go  down  in  ships"  been  written  by  one  more  familiar  with  the  scenes 
depicted. 

The  one  book  of  this  gifted  author  which  is  best  remembered,  and  which 
•will  be  read  with  pleasure  for  many  years  to  come,  Is  "Captain  Brand," 
•who,  as  the  author  states  on  his  title  page,  was  a  "pirate  of  eminence  in 
the  West  Indies."  As  a  sea  story  pure  and  simple,  "Captain  Brand"  has 
never  been  excelled,,  and  as  a  story  of  piratical  life,  told  without  the  usual 
embellishments  of  blood  and  thunder,  it  has  no  equal. 

NICK  OF  THE  WOODS.  A  story  of  the  Early  Settlers  of  Kentucky.  By 
Robert  Montgomery  Bird.  Cloth,  I2mo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson 
Davis.  Price,  Ji.oo. 

This  most  popular  novel  and  thrilling  story  of  early  frontier  life  In 
Kentucky  was  originally  published  In  the  year  1837.  The  novel,  long  out  of 
print,  had  in  its  day  a  phenomenal  sale,  for  its  realistic  presentation  of 
Indian  and  frontier  life  in  the  early  days  of  settlement  In  the  South,  nar- 
rated in  the  tale  with  all  the  art  of  a  practiced  writer.  A  very  charming 
love  romance  runs  through  the  story.  This  new  and  tasteful  edition  of 
"Nick  of  the  Woods"  will  be  certain  to  make  many  new  admirers  for 
this  enchanting  story  from  Dr.  Bird's  clever  and  versatile  pen. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  pub- 
lishers, A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  53-58  Duane  St.,  New  York, 


Good  Fiction  Worth  leading. 

A  series  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favorites  in  the  field 
of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful  romances  of  love  and  diplomacy 
that  excel  in  thrilling  and  absorbing-  interest. 


A  COLONIAL  FREE-LANCE.  A  story  of  American  Colonial  Times.  By 
Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss.  Cloth,  I2mo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson 
Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

A  book  that  appeals  to  Americans  as  a  vivid  picture  of  Revolutionary 
scenes.  The  story  is  a  strong  one,  a  thrilling  one.  It  causes  the  true 
American  to  flush  with  excitement,  to  devour  chapter  after  chapter,  until 
the  eyes  smart,  and  it  fairly  smokes  with  patriotism.  The  love  story  is  a 
singularly  charming  idyl. 

THE  TOWER  OF  LONDON.  A  Historical  Romance  of  the  rimesof  Lady 
Jane  Grey  and  Mary  Tudor.  By  Wm.  Harrison  Ainsworth.  Cloth,  iamo.  with 
four  illustrations  by  George  Cruikshank.  Price,  $1.00. 

This  romance  of  the  "Tower  of  London"  depicts  the  Tower  as  palace, 
prison  and  fortress,  with  many  historical  associations.  The  era  is  the 
middle  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

The  story  is  divided  into  two  parts,  one  dealing  with  Lady  Jane  Grey, 
and  the  other  with  Mary  Tudor  as  Queen,  introducing  other  notable  char- 
acters of  the  era.  Throughout  the  story  holds  the  interest  of  the  reader 
Jn  the  midst  of  intrigue  and  conspiracy,  extending  considerably  over  a 
half  a  century. 

IN  DEFIANCE  OF  THE  KING.  A  Romance  of  the  American  Revolution. 
By  Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss.  Cloth,  izmo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson 
Davis.  Price,  |i.co. 

Mr.  Hotchkiss  has  etched  in  burning  words  a  story  of  Yankee  bravery, 
and  true  love  that  thrills  from  beginning  to  end,  with  the  spirit  of  the 
Revolution.  The  heart  beats  quickly,  and  we  feel  ourselves  taking  a 
part  in  the  exciting  scenes  described.  Hte  whole  story  is  so  absorbing 
that  you  will  sit  up  far  into  the  night  to  finish  it.  As  a  love  romance 
it  is  charming. 

GARTHOWEN.  A  story  of  a  Welsh  Homestead.  By  Allen  Raine.  Cloth, 
I2tno.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  Ji.oo. 

"This  is  a  little  idyl  of  humble  life  ajid  enduring  love,  laid  bare  before 
us,  very  real  and  pure,  which  in  its  telling  shows  us  some  strong  points  of 
Welsh  character— the  pride,  the  hasty  temper,  the  quick  dying  out  of  wrath. 
.  .  .  We  call  this  a  well-written  story,  interesting  alike  through  its 
romance  and  its  glimpses  into  another  life  than  ours.  A  delightful  and 
clever  picture  of  Welsh  village  life.  The  result  is  excellent." — Detroit  Free 
Press. 

MIFANWY.  The  story  of  a  Welsh  Singer.  By  Allan  Raine.  Cloth, 
izmo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

"This  is  a  love  story,  simple,  tender  and  pretty  as  one  would  care  to 
read.  The  action  throughout  is  brisk  and  pleasing;  the  characters,  it  is  ap- 
parent at  once,  are  as  true  to  life  as  though  the  author  had  known  them 
all  personally.  Simple  in  all  its  situations,  the  story  is  worked  up  in  that 
touching  and  quaint  strain  which  never  grows  wearisome,  no  matter  how 
often  the  lights  and  shadows  of  love  are  introduced.  It  rings  true,  and 
does  not  tax  the  imagination." — Boston  Herald. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  pub- 
lishers, A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  53-58  Duane  St.,  New  York. 


Good  Fiction  Worth  Reading. 

A  series  of  romances  containing  several  of  the  old  favorites  in  the  field 
of  historical  fiction,  replete  with  powerful  romances  of  love  and  diplomacy 
that  excel  in  thrilling  and  absorbing  interest. 


GUY  FAWKES.  A  Romance  of  the  Gunpowder  Treason.  By  Wm.  Harri- 
son Ainsworth.  Cloth,  izmo.  with  four  illustrations  by  George  Cruikshauk. 
Price,  1 1. oo. 

The  "Gunpowder  Plot"  was  a  modest  attempt -to  blow  up  Parliament, 
the  King  and  his  Counsellors.  James  of  Scotland,  then  King  of  England, 
•was  weak-minded  and  extravagant.  He  hit  upon  the  efficient  scheme  ot 
extorting  money  from  the  people  by  imposing  taxes  on  the  Catholics.  In 
their  natural  resentment  to  this  extortion,  a  handful  of  bold  spirits  con- 
cluded to  overthrow  the  government.  Finally  the  plotters  were  arrested, 
and  the  King  put  to  torture  Guy  Fawkes  and  the  other  prisoners  with, 
royal  vigor.  A  very  Intense  love  story  runs  through  the  entire  romance. 

THE  SPIRIT  OP  THE  BORDER.  A  Romance  of  the  Early  Settlers  In  the 
Ohio  Valley.  By  Zane  Grey.  Cloth,  izmo.  with  four  illustrations  by  J.  Watson 
Davis.  Price,  $1.00. 

A  book  rather  out  of  the  ordinary  is  this  "Spirit  of  the  Border."  The 
main  thread  of  the  story  has  to  do  with  the  work  of  the  Moravian  mis- 
sionaries in  the  Ohio  Valley.  Incidentally  the  reader  is  given  details  of  the 
frontier  life  of  those  hardy  pioneers  who  broke  the  wilderness  for  the  plant- 
ing of  this  great  nation.  Chief  among  these,  as  a  matter  of  course,  \m 
Lewis  Wetzel,  one  of  the  most  peculiar,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most 
admirable  of  all  the  brave  men  who  spent  their  lives  battling  with  the 
•avage  foe,  that  others  might  dwell  in  comparative  security. 

Details  of  the  establishment  and  destruction  of  the  Moravian  "Village 
of  Peace"  are  given  at  some  length,  and  with  minute  description.  The 
efforts  to  Christianize  the  Indians  are  described  as  they  never  have  been 
before,  and  the  author  has  depicted  the  characters  of  the  leaders  of  the 
several  Indian  tribes  with  great  care,  which  of  itself  will  be  of  interest  to 
the  student. 

By  no  means  least  among  the  charms  of  the  story  are  the  vivid  word- 
pictures  of  the  thrilling  adventures,  and  the  Intense  paintings  of  the  beau* 
ties  of  nature,  as  seen  in  the  almost  unbroken  forests. 

It  Is  the  spirit  of  the  frontier  which  is  described,  and  one  can  by  it. 
perhaps,  the  better  understand  why  men,  and  women,  too,  willingly  braved 
every  privation  and  danger  that  the  westward  progress  of  the  star  of  em- 
pire might  be  the  more  certain  and  rapid.  A  love  story,  simple  and  tender, 
runs  through  the  book. 

RICHELIEU.  A  tale  of  France  in  the  reign  of  King  l^ouls  X1U.  By  G.  P. 
R.  James.  Cloth,  izmo.  with  four  illustrations  L .  J.  Watson  Davis.  Price,  Ji.oo. 

In  1829  Mr.  James  published  his  first  romance,  "Richelieu,"  and  wa» 
recognized  at  once  as  one  of  the  masters  of  the  craft. 

In  this  book  he  laid  the  story  during  those  later  days  of  the  great  car- 
dinal's life,  when  his  power  was  beginning  to  wane,  but  while  it  was 
yet  sufficiently  strong  to  permit  now  and  then  of  volcanic  outbursts  which 
overwhelmed  foes  and  carried  friends  to  the  topmost  wave  of  prosperity. 
One  of  the  most  striking  portions  of  the  story  is  that  of  Cinq  Mar's  conspir- 
acy the  method  of  conducting  crlmina4  cases,  and  the  political  trickery- 
resorted  to  by  royal  favorites,  affording  a  better  insight  into  the  state-1 
craft  of  that  day  than  can  be  had  even  by  an  exhaustive  study  of  history. 
It  is  a  powerful  romance  of  love  and  diplomacy,  and  In  point  of  thrilling 
and  absorbing  interest  has  never  been  excelled. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  pub- 
lishers, A,  L,  BURT  COMPANY,  52-58  Duane  St.,  New  York. 


POPULAR  LITERATURE  FOR  THE  MASSES, 
COMPRISING  CHOICE  SELECTIONS  FROM  THE 
TREASURES  OF  THE  WORLD'S  KNOWLEDGE, 
ISSUED  IN  A  SUBSTANTIAL  AND  ATTRACTIVE 
CLOTH  BINDING,  AT  A  POPULAR  PRICE 


HURT'S  HOME  LIBRARY  is  a  series  which 
Includes  the  standard  works  of  the  world's  best  literature, 
bound  in  uniform  cloth  binding,  gilt  tops,  embracing 
chiefly  selections  from  writers  of  the  most  notable 
English,  American  and  Foreign  Fiction,  together  with 
many  important  works  in  the  domains 
of  History,  Biography,  Philosophy, 
Travel,  Poetry  and  the  Essays. 

A  glance  at  the  following  annexed 
list  of  titles  and  authors  will  endorse 
the  claim  that  the  publishers  make 
for  it — that  it  is  the  most  compre- 
hensive, choice,  interesting,  and  by 
far  the  most  carefully  selected  series 
of  standard  authors  for  world-wide 
reading  that  has  been  produced  by 
any  publishing  house  in  any  country,  and  that  at  prices 
so  cheap,  and  in  a  style  so  substantial  and  pleasing,  as  to 
win  for  it  millions  of  readers  and  the  approval  and 
commendation,  not  only  of  the  book  trade  throughout 
the  American  continent,  but  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
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interested  in  the  dissemination  of  instructive,  entertaining 
and  thoroughly  wholesome  reading  matter  for  the  masses. 

[SEE  FOLLOWING  PAGES] 


BURT'S  HO?.\E  LIBRARY.    Cloth.    Gilt  Tops.    Price,  $1.00 


Abbe      Constantin.         By      LUDOVIC 

HALEVV. 

Abbott,  By  SIR  WALTER  SCOTT. 
Adar.i  Bede.  BY  GEORGE  ELIOT. 
Addison's  Essays.  EDITED  BY  JOHN 

RICHARD  GREEN. 
Aeneid    of    Virgil.     TRANSLATED     BY 

JOHN  CONNINGTON. 
Aesop's  Fables. 
Alexander,    the    Great,    Life    of.     BY 

JOHN  WILLIAMS. 
Alfred,  the  Great,  Life  of.     BY  THOMAS 

HUGHES. 

Alhambra.     BY  WASHINGTON  IRVING. 
Alice  in  Wonderland,  and  Through  the 

.booking-Glass.  BY  LEWIS  CARROLL 
Alice  Lorraine.  BY  R.  D.  BLACKMORB 
All  Sorts  and  Conditions  of  Men.  BY 

WALTER  BESANT. 

Alton  Locke.     BY  CHARLES  KINGSLEY. 
Arniel's     Journal.     TRANSLATED      BY 

MRS.  HUMPHREY  WARD. 
Andersen's  Fairy  Tales. 
Anne  of  Geirstein.     BY  SIR  WALTER 

SCOTT. 

Antiquary.     BY  SIR  WALTER  SCOTT. 
Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments. 
Ardath.     BY    MARIE   CORELLI. 
Arnold,  Benedict,  Life  of.     BY  GEORGE 

CANNING  HILL. 
Arnold's    Poems.        BY      MATTHEW 

ARNOLD. 

Around  the  World  in  the  Yacht  Sun- 
beam.    BY  MRS.  BRASSEY. 
Arundel     Motto.     BY     MARY     CECIL 

HAY. 
At  the  Back  of  the  North  Wind.     BY 

GEORGE  MACDONALD. 
Attic  Philosopher.     BY    EMILE     Sou- 

VESTRE. 

Auld  Licht  Idylls.  BY  JAMES  M. 
BARRIE. 

Aunt  Diana.     BY  ROSA  N.  CAREY. 

Autobiography  of  Benjamin  Franklin. 

Autocrat  of  the  Breakfast  Table.  BY 
O.  W.  HOLMES. 

Averil.     BY  ROSA  N.  CAREY. 

Bacon's  Essays.     BY  FRANCIS  BACON. 

Barbara  Heathcote's  Trial.  BY  ROSA 
N.  CAREY. 

Barnaby  Rudge.  BY  CHARLES  DICK- 
ENS. 

Barrack  Room  Ballads.     BY  RUDYARD 

&IPLINQ. 

Betrothed.     BY  SIR  WALTER  SCOTT. 

Beulah.     BY  AUGUSTA  J.  EVA.VS. 

Black  Beauty,     BY  ANNA  SEWAI.L. 

Black  Dwarf.  BY  SIR  WALTER 
SCOTT. 

Black  Rock.     BY  RALPH  CONNOR. 

Black  Tulip.     BY  ALEXANDRE  DUMAS. 

Bleak  House.     BY  CHARLES  DICKENS. 

Blithedale  Romance.  BY  NATHANIEL 
HAWTHORNE. 

Bondman.     BY  H/.I.L  CAINE. 

Book  of  Golden  Deeds.  BY  CHAR- 
LOTTE M.  YONGE. 

Boone,  Daniel,  Life  of.  BY  CECIL  B. 
HARTLEY. 


Bride     of     Lammermoor.     BY     SIR 

WALTER  SCOTT. 

Bride  of  the  Nile.     BY  GEORGE  EBERS. 
Browning's    Poems.     BY    ELIZABETH 

BARRETT  BROWNING. 
Browning's      Poems.       (SELECTIONS.) 

BY  ROBERT  BROWNING. 
Bryant's  Poems.  (EARLY.)     BY  WILL- 
IAM CULLEN  BRYANT. 
Burgomaster's     Wife.     BY      GEORGE 

EBERS. 

Burn's  Poems.     BY  ROBERT  BURNS. 
By  Order   of   the   King.     BY   VICTOR 

HUGO. 

Byron's  Poems.     BY  LORD  BYRON. 
Caesar,    Julius,    Life    of.     BY    JAMBS 

ANTHONY  FROUDE. 
Carson,    Kit,    Life    of.     BY    CHARLES 

BURDETT. 

Cary's  Poems.     BY  ALICE  AND  PHOEBE 

GARY. 
Cast  Up  by  the  Sea.     BY  SIR  SAMUEL 

BAKER. 
Charlemagne  (Charles  the  Great),  Life 

of.     BY  THOMAS  HODGKIN.  D.  C.  L. 
Charles  Auchester.     BY  E.  BERGBR. 
Character.     BY  SAMUEL  SMILES. 
Charles      O'Malley.        BY      CHARLES 

LEVER. 

Chesterfield's  Letters.     BY  LORD  CHES- 
TERFIELD. 
Chevalier      de     Maison     Rouge.     BY 

ALEXANDRE  DUMAS. 
Chicot    the    Jester.     BY     ALBXANDRB 

DUMAS. 
Children  of  the  Abbey.     BY   REGINA 

MARIA  ROCHE. 
Child's     History      of      England.     BY 

CHARLES.  DICKENS. 
Christmas     Stories.        BY      CHARLES 

DICKENS. 
Cloister  and  the  Hearth.     BY  CHARLES 

READE. 

Coleridge's  Poems.     BY  SAMUEL  TAY- 
LOR COLERIDGE. 
Columbus,   Christopher,   Life   of.     BY 

WASHINGTON  ISVING. 
Companions  of  Jehu.     BY  ALBXANDRB 

DUMAS. 
Complete   Angler.     BY   WALTON   AND 

COTTON. 
Conduct  of  Life.     BY  RALPH  WALDO 

EMERSON. 
Confessions  of  an  Opium  Eater.     BY 

THOMAS  DB  QUINCEY. 
Conquest  of  Granada.     BY  WAFHINO- 

TON  IRVING. 

Conscript.     BY  ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN. 
Conspiracy  of  Pontiac.     BY   FRANCIS 

PARKMAN,  JR. 

Conspirators.     BY    ALBXANDRB     DU- 
MAS. 

Consuelo.     Bv  GEORGE  SAND. 
Cook's  Voyages.     BY  CAPTAIN  JAWIS 

COOK. 

Corinne.     BY  MADAME  DB  STABL. 
Countess  de  Charney.     BY  ALBXANDRB 

DUMAS. 
Countess    Gisela.     BY    E.    MARLITT. 


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Countess  of  Rudolstadt.  BY  GEORGE 
SAND. 

Count  Robert  of  Paris.  BY  SIR 
WALTER  SCOTT. 

Country  Doctor.  BY  HONORE  DE 
BALZAC. 

Courtship  of  Miles  Standish.  BY  H.  W. 
LONGFELLOW. 

Cousin  Maude.     BY  MARY  J.  HOLMES. 

Cranford.     BY  MRS.  GASKELL. 

Crockett,  David,  Life  of.  AN  AUTOBI- 
OGRAPHY. 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  Life  of.  BY  EDWIN 
PAXTON  HOOD. 

Crown  of  Wild  Olive.  BY  JOHN 
RUSKIN' 

Crusades.      BY  GEO.  W.  Cox,   M.  A. 

Daniel  Deronda.     BY  GEORGE  ELIOT. 

Darkness  and  Daylight.  BY  MARY  J. 
HOLMES. 

Data  of  Ethics.  BY  HERBERT  SPEN- 
CER. 

Daughter   of   an   Empress,    The.     BY 

LOUISA    MUHLBACH. 

David  Copperfield.  BY  CHARLES 
DICKENS. 

Days  of  Bruce.     BY  GRACE  AGUILAR. 

Deemster,  The.     BY  HALL  CAINE. 

Deerslayer,  The.  BY  JAMES  FENI- 
MORE  COOPER. 

Descent  of  Man.  BY  CHARLES  DAR- 
WIN. 

Discourses  of  Epictetus.  TRANSLATED 
BY  GEORGE  LONG. 

Divine  Comedy.  (DANTE.)  TRANS- 
LATED BY  REV.  H.  V.  CAREY. 

Dombey  &  Son.   BY  CHARLES  DICKENS. 

Donal  Grant.  BY  GEORGE  MACDON- 
ALD. 

Donovan.     BY  EDNA  LYALL. 

Dora  peane.     BY  MARY  J.  HOLMES. 

Dove  in  the  Eagle's  Nest.  BY  CHAR- 
LOTTE M.  YONGE. 

Dream  Life.     BY  IK  MARVEL. 

Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde.  BY  R.  L. 
STEVENSOX. 

Duty.     BY  SAMUEL  SMILES. 

Early  Days  of  Christianity.  BY  P.  W. 
FARRAR. 

East  Lynr.e.     BY  MRS.  HENRY  WOOD. 

Edith  Lyle's  Secret.  BY  MARY  J. 
HOLMES. 

Education.     BY  HERBERT  SPENCER. 

Egoist.     BY  GEORGE  MEREDITH. 

Egyptian    Princess.     BY    GEORGE 
EBERS. 

Eight  Hundred  Leagues  on  the  Ama- 
zon. BY  JULES  VERNE. 

Eliot's  Poems.     BY  GEORGE  ELIOT. 

Elizabeth  and  her  German  Garden. 

Elizabeth  (Queen  of  England),  Life  of. 
BY  EDWARD  SPENCER  BEESLY,  M.A. 

Elsie  Venner.  BY  OLIVER  WENDELL 
HOLMES. 

Emerson's  Essays.  (COMPLETE.)  By 
RALPH  WALDO  EMERSON. 

Emerson's  Poems.  BY  RALPH  WALDO 
EMERSON. 

EnFlhh  Orphans.  BY  MARY  J. 
HOLMES. 


English  Traits.      BY  R.  W.  EMERSON. 
Essays     in     Criticism.     (FIRST     AND 

SECOND     SERIES.)     BY     MATTHEW 

ARNOLD. 

Essays  of  Elia.     BY  CHARLES  LAMB. 
Esther.     BY  ROSA  N.  CAREY. 
Ethelyn's      Mistake.     BY      MARY      J. 

HOLMES. 
Evangeline.     (WITH    NOTES.)     BY    H. 

W.  LONGFELLOW. 
Evelina.     BY  FRANCES  BURNEY. 
Fair  Maid  of  Perth.     BY  SIR  WALTER 

SCOTT. 
Fairy  Land  of  Science.     BY  ARABELLA 

B.  BUCKLEY. 
Faust.     (GOETHE.)     TRANSLATED    BT 

ANNA  SWANWICK. 
Felix  Holt.     BY  GEORGE  ELIOT. 
Fifteen  Decisive  Battles  of  the  World. 

BY  E.  S.  CREASY. 

File  No.  113.     BY  EMILE  GABORIAU. 
Firm  of   Girdlestone.     BY   A.   CONAN 

DOYLE. 

First  Principles.  BY  HERBERT  SPENCER. 
First  Violin.     BY  JESSIE  FOTHERGILL. 
For  Lilias.     By  ROSA  N.  CAREY. 
Fortunes  of  Nigel.     BY  SIR  WALTER 

SCOTT. 
Forty-Five  Guardsmen.     BY  ALEXAN- 

DRE  DUMAS. 

Foul  Play.     BY  CHARLES  READE. 
Fragments     of     Science.     BY     JOHN 

TYNDALL. 
Frederick,    the    Great,    Life    of.     BY 

FRANCIS  KUGLER. 
Frederick  the  Great  and  His  Court.     By 

LOUISA    MlJHLBACH. 

French  Revolution.     BY  THOMAS  CAR- 

LYLE. 

From    the    Earth   to    the    Moon.     By 

JULES  VERNE. 

Garibaldi,  General,  Life  of.     BY  THEO- 
DORE DWIGHT. 
Gil  Bias,  Adventures  of.     BY  A.  R.  LB 

SAGE. 
Gold     Bug     and     Other     Tales.     By 

EDGAR  A.  POE. 
Gold  Elsie.     BY  E.  MARLITT. 
Golden    Treasury.     BY     FRANCIS     T. 

PALGRAVE. 
Goldsmith's      Poems.       BY      OLIVER 

GOLDSMITH. 
Grandfather's  Chair.     BY  NATHANIEL 

HAWTHORNE. 
Grant,  Ulysses  S.,  Life  of.     BY  J.  T. 

HEADLEY. 

Gray's  Poems.     BY  THOMAS  GRAY. 
Great      Expectations.     BY      CHARLES 

DICKENS. 
Greek    Heroes.     Fairy   Tales    for    My 

Children.     BY  CHARLES  KINGSLEY. 
Green  Mountain  Boys,  The.     BY  D.  P. 

THOMPSON. 
Grimm's   Household   Tales.     BY   THE 

BROTHERS  GRIMM. 
Grimm's     Popular     Tales.     BY     THE 

BROTHERS  GRIMM. 

Gulliver's  Travels.     BY  DEAN  SWIFT. 
Guy    Mannering.     BY    SIR    WAITER 

SCOTT. 


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Hale,  Nathan,  the  Martyr  Spy.  BY 
CHARLOTTE  MOLYNEUX  HOLLOWAY. 

Handy  Andy.     BY  SAMUEL  LOVER. 

Hans  of  Iceland.     BY  VICTOR  HUGO. 

Hannibal,  the  Carthaginian,  Life  of. 
BY  THOMAS  ARNOLD,  M.  A. 

Hardy  Norseman,  A.    BY  EDNA  LYALL. 

Harold.     BY  BULWER-LYTTON. 

Harry  Lorrequer.    BY  CHARLES  LEVER. 

Heart  of  Midlothian.  BY  SIR  WALTER 
SCOTT. 

Heir  of  Redclyffe.     BY  CHARLETTE  M. 

YONGE. 

Hemans"  Poems.  BY  MRS.  FELICIA 
HEMANS. 

Henry  Esmond.  BY  WM.  M.  THACK- 
ERAY. 

Henry,  Patrick,  Life  of.     BY  WILLIAM 

WlRT. 

Her  Dearest  Foe.  BY  MRS.  ALEXAN- 
DER. 

Hereward.     BY  CHARLES  KINGSLEY. 
Heriot's  Choice.     BY  ROSA  N.  CAREY. 
Heroes      and      Hero- Worship.         BY 

THOMAS  CARLYLE. 
Hiawatha.     (WITH  NOTES.)     BY  H.  W. 

LONGFELLOW. 
Hidden  Hand,  The.    (COMPLETE.)   BY 

MRS.  E.  D.  E.   N.  SOUTHWORTH. 
Histpry    of    a    Crime.       BY    VICTOR 

HUGO. 
History  of  Civilization  in  Europe.     BY 

M.  GUIZOT. 
Holmes'  Poems.  (  EARLY)  BY  OLIVER 

WENDELL  HOLMES. 
Holy     Roman     Empire.      BY    JAMES 

BRYCE. 
Homestead  on  the  Hillside.     BY  MARY 

J.  HOLMES. 

Hood's  Poems.     BY  THOMAS  HOOD. 
House     of     the     Seven     Gables.     BY 

NATHANIEL  HAWTHORNE. 
Hunchback      of      Notre      Dame.     BY 

VICTOR  HUGO. 

Hypatia.     BY   CHARLES   KINOSLEY. 
Hyperion.     BY    HENRY    WADSWORTH 

LONOFKLLOW. 

Iceland  Fisherman,     BY  PIERRE  LOTI. 
Idle  Thoughts  of  an  Idle  Fellow.     BY 

JSROMB  K.  JEROME. 
Iliad,     POPE'S  TRANSLATION. 
Inez.     BY  AUGUSTA  J.  EVANS. 
lugelow's  Poems.     BY  JEAN  INGELOW. 
Initials.     BY    THE    BARONESS    TAUT- 

PHOEUS. 

Intellectual  Life.  BY  PHILIP  G. 
HAMERTON. 

In  the  Counsellor's  House.  BY  E. 
MARLITT. 

In  the  Golden  Days.  BY  EDNA 
LYALL. 

In  the  Heart  of  the  Storm.  BY 
MAXWELL  GRAY. 

In  the  Schillingscourt.  BY  E.  MAR- 
LITT. 

Ishmael.  (COMPLETE.)  BY  MRS.  E. 
D.  E.  N.  SOUTHWORTH. 

It  Is  Never  Too  Late  to  Mend.     BY 

CiIAP.LHS   RSADB. 


Ivanhoe.     BY  SIR  WALTER  SCOTT. 

Jane  Eyre.  BY  CHARLOTTE  BRONTB. 
efferson,  Thomas,  Life  of.  BY 

SAMUEL  M.  SCHMUCKKR,  LL.D. 
Joan    of    Arc,    Life    of.     BY    JULBS 

MlCHELET. 

John   Halifax,   Gentleman.     BY   Miss 

MULOCK. 
Jones,  John  Paul,  Life  of.     BY  JAMBS 

OTIS. 
Joseph      Balsamo.     BY      ALEXANDKE 

DUMAS. 
Josephine,  Empress  of  France,  Life  of. 

BY  FREDERICK  A.  OBBR. 
Keats'  Poems.     BY  JOHN  KEATS. 
Kenilworth.     BY  SIR  WALTER  SCOTT. 
Kidnapped.     BY  R.  L.  STEVENSON. 
King  Arthur  and  His  Noble  Knights. 

BY  MARY  MACLEOD. 
Knickerbocker's  History  of  New  York. 

BY  WASHINGTON  IRVING. 
Knight  Errant     BY  EDNA  LYALL. 
Koran.     TRANSLATED      BY      GEORGE 

SALE. 
Lady  of  the  Lake.     (WITH  NOTBS.)     BY 

SIR  WALTER  SCOTT. 
Lady  with  the  Rubies.     BY  E.  MAR- 
LITT. 
Lafayette,   Marquis  de.    Life    of.      BY 

P.  C.  HEADLEY.  « 

Lalla     Rookh.     (WITH     NOTBS.)     BY 

THOMAS  MOORE. 

Lamplighter.     BY     MARIA     S.     CUM- 
MINS. 
Last  Days  of  Pompeii.     BY  BULWBR- 

LYTTON. 
Last    of    the    Barons.     BY    BULWKR- 

LYTTON. 
Last    of    the    Mohicans.     BY    JAMBS 

FENIMORB  COOPER. 
Lay    of    the    Last    Minstrel.     (WITH 

NOTES.)     BY  SIR  WALTER  SCOTT. 
Lee,  General  Robert  E.,  Life  of.     Br 

G.  MERCER  ADAM. 
Lena  Rivers.     BY  MARY  J.  HOLMES. 
Life    of    Christ.     BY    FREDERICK    W. 

FARRAR. 

Life  of  Jesus.     BY  ERNBST  RENAN. 
Light     of     Asia.     BY     SIR     EDWIN 

ARNOLD. 
Light    That     Failed.     BY     RUDYARD 

KIPLING. 
Lincoln,      Abraham.      Life     of.     BY 

HENRY  KBTCHAM. 
Lincoln's   Speeches.     SKLBCTBD    AND 

EDITED  BV  G.  MERGER   ADAM. 
Literature  and  Dogma.     BY  MATTHBW 

ARNOLD. 

Little  Dorrit  BY  CHARLES  DICKBNS. 
Little  Minister.  BY  JAMES  M.  BARRIB. 
Livingstone,  David,  Life  of.  BY 

THOMAS  HUGHES. 
Longfellow's  Poems.      (EARLY.)     Br 

HENRY  W.  LONGPBLLOW. 
Lorna  Doone.     BY  R.  D.  BLACKMORK. 
Louise  de  la  Valliere.     BY  ALBXANDRK 

DUMAS. 
Love  Me  Little,  Love  Me  Lone.     Br 

CHARLES  READS. 


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Lowell's  Poems.     (EARLY.)  BY  JAMES 

RUSSELL  LOWELL. 
Lucile.     BY  OWEN  MEREDITH. 
Macaria.     BY  AUGUSTA  J.  EVANS. 
Macaulay's  Literary  Essays.     BY  T.  B. 

MACAUI.AY. 
Macaulay's  Poems.     BY  THOMAS  BAB- 

INGTON  MACAULAY. 
Madame     Therese.     BY     ERCKMANN- 

CHATRIAN. 

Maggie  Miller.  BY  MARY  J.  HOLMES. 
Magic  Skin.  BY  HONORE  DE  BALZAC. 
Mahomet,  Life  of.  BY  WASHINGTON 

IRVING. 
Makers    of    Florence.     BY  MRS.  OLI- 

PHANT. 
Makers    of    Venice.     BY    MRS.    OLI- 

PHANT. 

Man  and  Wife.     BY  WILKIE  COLLINS. 

Man  in  the  Iron  Mask.  BY  ALBXAN- 
DRE  DUMAS. 

Marble  Faun.  BY  NATHANIEL  HAW- 
THORNE. 

Marguerite  de  la  Valois.  BY  ALEX- 
ANDRE  DUMAS. 

Marian  Grey.     BY  MARY  J.  HOLMES. 

Marius,  The  Epicurian.  BY  WALTER 
PATER. 

Marmion.  (WITH  NOTES.)  BY  SIR 
WALTER  SCOTT. 

Marquis  of  Lossie.  BY  GEORGE 
MACDONALD. 

Martin  Chuzzlewit  BY  CHARLES 
DICKENS. 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  Life  of.  BY 
P.  C.  HEADI.EY. 

Mary  St  John.     BY  ROSA  N.  CAREY. 

Master  of  Ballantrae,  The.  BY.  R.  L. 
STEVENSON. 

Masterman  Ready.     BY  CAPTAIN  MAR- 

RYATT. 

Meadow  Brook.  BY  MARY  J.  HOLMES. 
Meditations  of  Marcus  Aurelius. 

TRANSLATED  BY  GEORGE  LONG. 
Memoirs  of  a  Physician.     BY  ALEXAN- 

DRE  DUMAS. 

Merle's  Crusade.     BY  ROSA  N.  CAREY. 
Micah  Clarke.     BY  A.  CONAN  DOLYE. 
Michael  Strogoff.     BY  JULES  VERNE. 
Middlemarch.     BY   GEORGE   ELIOT. 
Midshipman  Easy.     BY  CAPTAIN  MAR- 

RYATT 

Mildred.     BY  MARY  J.  HOLMES. 
Millbank.     BY  MARY  J.  HOLMES. 
Mill  on  the  Floss.     BY  GEORGE  ELIOT. 
Milton's  Poems.     BY  JOHN  MILTON. 
Mine  Own  People.     BvRuDYARDKip- 

LING. 

Minister's  Wooing,  The.     BY  HARRIET 

BEECHER  STOWE. 

Monastery.     BY  SIR  WALTER   SCOTT. 
Moonstone.     BY    WILKIE   COLLINS. 
Moore's  Poems.     BY  THOMAS   MOORE 
Mosses    from    an     Old     Manse.     BY 

NATHANIEL  HAWTHORNE. 
Murders    in    the    Rue    Morgue.     BY 

EDGAR  ALLEN  POE. 
Mysterious  Island.     BY  JULES  VERNE. 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  Liie  of.     BY  P. 

C.  HBADLBY. 


Napoleon  and  His  Marshals.  BY  J. 
T.  HEADLEY. 

Natural  Law  in  the  Spiritual  World. 
BY  HENRY  DRUMMOXD. 

Narrative  of  Arthur  Gordon  Pym.  BY 
EDGAR  ALLAN  POE. 

Nature,  Addresses  and  Lectures.  BY 
R.  W.  EMERSON. 

Nellie's  Memories.  BY  ROSA  N. 
CAREY. 

Nelson,  Admiral  Horatio,  Life  of.  BY 
ROBERT  SOUTHEY. 

Newcomes.  BY  WILLIAM  M.  THACK- 
ERAY. 

Nicholas  Nickleby.  BY  CHAS.  DICK- 
ENS. 

Ninety-Three.     BY  VICTOR  HUGO. 

Not  Like  Other  Girls.  BY  ROSA  N. 
CAREY. 

Odyssey.     POPE'S  TRANSLATION. 

Old  Curiosity  Shop.  BY  CHARLES 
DICKENS. 

Old  Mam'selle's  Secret.     BY  E.  MAR- 

LITT. 

Old  Mortality.  BY  SIR  WALTER 
SCOTT. 

Old  Myddleton's  Money.  BY  MARY 
CECIL  HAY. 

Oliver  Twist.     BY  CHAS.  DICKENS. 

Only  the  Governess.  BY  ROSA  N. 
CAREY. 

On  the  Heights.  BY  BERTHOLD 
AUERBACH. 

Oregon  Trail.  BY  FRANCIS  PARK- 
MAN. 

Origin  of  Species.  BY  CHARLES 
DARWIN. 

Other  Worlds  than  Ours.  BY  RICH- 
ARD PROCTOR. 

Our  Bessie.     BY  ROSA  N.  CAREY. 

Our  Mutual  Friend.  BY  CHARLES 
DICKENS. 

Outre-Mer.     BY  H.  W.  LONGFELLOW. 

Owl's  Nest.     BY  E.  MARLITT. 

Page  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy.  BY 
ALEXANDRE  DUMAS. 

Pair  of  Blue  Eyes.  BY  THOMAS 
HARDY. 

Pan  Michael.  BY  HENRYK  SIEN- 
KIEWICZ. 

Past    and    Present.     BY    THOS.    CAR- 

LYLE. 

Pathfinder.  BY  JAMES  FENIMORE 
COOPER. 

Paul  and  Virginia.  BY  B.  DE  ST. 
PIERRE. 

Pendennis.  History  of.  BY  WM.  M. 
THACKERAY. 

Penn,  William,  Life  of.  BY  W.  HEP- 
WORTH  DIXON. 

Pere  Goriot.     BY  HONORE  DE  BALZAC. 

Peter,  the  Great,  Life  of.  BY  JOHN 
BARROW. 

Peveril  of  the  Peak.  BY  SIR  WALTER 
SCOTT. 

Phantom  Rickshaw,  The.  BY  RUD- 
YARD  KIPLING. 

Philip  II.  of  Spain,  Life  of.  BY  MAR- 
TIN A.  S.  HUME. 

Picciola.     BY  X.  B.  SAINTINE. 


